Sources told news agency ANI that the three-member panel includes executive directors of public sector companies Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.

stay: Update on US-Iran conflict

Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) posted on its X handle: “In view of the current geopolitical disruptions impacting global fuel supplies, steps have been taken to increase LPG production and prioritize its availability for domestic consumers and essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.”

for this non-domestic sector For those that are not “essential” such as hotels and restaurants, HPCL said their requests will be reviewed by this committee “on the basis of merit, need and product availability”.

It also shared three email IDs where applications can be made “for urgent requirements of other sectors”: edlpg@bhartpetroleum.in, indanecareho@Indianoil.in, and lpg.sbu.head@hpcl.in.

“The actual requirement of the restaurant associations for commercial LPG will be met and this committee will re-prioritize the supply as per the requirements,” sources told ANI.

is at the heart of the situation strait of hormuzA sea route that has reportedly been closed by Iran. But government sources have said India is now supplying 70% of its crude oil from non-Strait of Hormuz sources.

He said that the government has not taken any decision to curb the export of refined oil.

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said in recent days that India has “adequate buffer stockOf petro products like LPG.

Meanwhile, the central government has already invoked the Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted supply of domestic LPG, directing refineries and petrochemical units to maximize liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production and divert key hydrocarbon streams into LPG pools.

The order prescribes certain times under this:

The gap from earlier 21 days between two bookings has been increased to 25 days “to avoid hoarding and black marketing”, officials said.

State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhujbal said in a video message that several hotel owners met him and expressed concern over the situation arising out of disruptions in LPG supply.

He said, “I personally met the Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) and discussed the situation. There are clear instructions from the Central Government to all oil companies to give priority to domestic gas. Therefore, there will be a shortage in commercial gas supply in the times to come.”

He said its impact will be felt especially in Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of the country.

He said the option of using kerosene was suggested by eateries, but hotel owners raised safety concerns and pointed out that switching to the fuel would require a complete overhaul of the existing system.

State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule warned of strict action against those hoarding LPG cylinders.

He also criticized the Congress and alleged that the opposition party was trying to create confusion among the people on the issue of gas supply.

Its impact was felt in Kerala also. News agency PTI’s Thiruvananthapuram report noted an acute shortage of LPG cylinders, and quoted industry sources as saying that gas distribution to commercial establishments such as hotels has “almost come to a standstill”.

On Tuesday, a busy, mid-scale hotel with round-the-clock operations in Kochi partially shifted its cooking to traditional firewood stoves due to the unexpected crisis.

Its owner said, “We cooked rice today using a traditional wood stove. We cannot close the hotel suddenly as around 25 people are working here.”

He said they usually use up to five cylinders a day and now they have no cylinders in reserve.

A hotel owner in Kozhikode said that if the LPG shortage continues for a long time, he will be forced to close the hotel. “During the normal season, we require at least six cylinders per day. Since it is the Ramzan fasting time, we can manage with a maximum of four cylinders. But, when we placed the order this morning, we were not getting even that many,” he said.

Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) officials said, “Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) informed us on Monday that refilling of commercial cylinders has been stopped. But as per our information, institutions and households falling under the essential services category will not be affected.”

He said that the association has already sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and CM Pinarayi Vijayan making the immediate demand.

State Civil Supplies Minister GR Anil said a meeting of industry stakeholders and concerned officials was called. “Kerala is a consumer state and hence we have requested the Center to pay special attention to the hotel industry in the state in the distribution of LPG cylinders,” he said.

About 62% of the demand is met through imports.

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation have closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea route through which India gets 85-90 per cent of its LPG imports from West Asian countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Chennai organization said that food supply to IT parks and college hostels as well as banquet bookings taken by hotels will also be affected.

The National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) also urged government intervention as it warned of a “catastrophic closure” of businesses.

Restaurants in Gurugram and Mumbai have also reported shortage of commercial LPG.

“We have backup cylinders that can last for about three days. If the situation continues, we may have to switch to residential cylinders or reduce menu items,” Rohit Arora, manager of a restaurant in Gurugram, told HT.

According to an NDTV report, eateries in areas like Dadar, Andheri and Matunga have removed slow-cooking items from their menus and shortened their operating hours to save on commercial LPG.

Meanwhile, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has temporarily closed gas crematoriums in the city, and directed that priority be given to available propane and butane for domestic LPG supply across the country.

LPG cylinder prices for commercial use increased ₹115 and for home use ₹60 last week.

Kane said he was “looking at a number of options to set the military conditions to be able to do this”.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referred to President Donald Trump’s social media posts threatening Iran against blocking the flow of oil through the shipping route. “He takes the situation across that strait very seriously,” Hegseth said.

“When we called our supplier today, we were told there was no Supply of LPG cylinder. I know I can work today because I have some stock. We’re trying to figure out what else we can do,” says chef Tressa Francis, who runs Coracle in Domlur, Bengaluru. “I’ve heard that supplies are restricted and controlled. But I don’t know how it works.”

She is not alone. Hoteliers, chefs and restaurateurs are in firefighting mode as they figure out how to keep their existing fuel running for as long as possible and keep customers fed until there is some clarity about how to move forward. Restaurants like Coracle get cylinders every five days. “The last time we got the cylinders was on Saturday,” says Tresa.

conflict in west asia continues, and its impact can be felt in cities across India. On Monday (March 9, 2026), the supply of LPG cylinders was restricted in many cities. Bengaluru Hotels Association issued a notice saying that if the supply is not resumed then the hotels may have to be closed..

At the moment, most restaurants say they are trying to increase the cylinders they already have while waiting for clarity on supplies. But if deliveries don’t resume soon, many accept that options will soon become limited — fewer dishes, shorter hours, or closing the kitchen doors until the gas comes back. Which may mean closures tomorrow or this weekend for some people.

Although prices have been rising by an estimated 40% for the last two weeks, according to Japtej Ahluwalia, co-founder of Chennai-based BORN (Beyond Ordinary Restaurants and Nosh) and member of the managing committee of NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India), they were managing to get cylinders. BORN runs seven restaurants across the city, including Sortad, Fufu and Double Roti, which require about 20 to 25 cylinders a day. Sources in the F&B industry, on condition of anonymity, say that till recently cylinders were available at almost double the market price. Now, even though restaurants are trying to buy them at any cost, it seems all sources have dried up.

Induction is not a viable option. Santosh Zakaria of Chennai speakeasy Madco, which usually opens in the afternoon, says they are now opening only for dinner to save on their LPG cylinders and are cutting dishes from the menu that require higher flame, and take longer to cook, like their popular bone marrow. “Induction is not an option for most of the cooking we do,” he says, adding, “Our electricity bills will also increase significantly.”

Its effect is being seen in the entire country. Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants, which runs brands like Masala Library, Pa Pa Ya and Farzi Café, points out that commercial LPG is the backbone of kitchen operations across India, and any disruption jeopardizes the continuity of food service for millions of people. He says, “The restaurant industry is a ₹6.6 lakh crore ecosystem and a major employer, and it is important that policy clarity ensures uninterrupted LPG supply to keep kitchens running. One day’s supply shortage will result in a loss of Rs 1,200-1,300 crore to the industry and the economy as 70-75% of the ecosystem depends on LPG.”

‘Now no stove is allowed to run idle’

In Hyderabad, Syed Irfan, owner of Subhan Bakery, says he is appointing a supervisor to monitor the use of LPG in his Indian kitchen. “For bakery products, we depend on electricity. For the rest, we are confident about the ease of management and choosing induction cooktops. The cost of the set will definitely be higher.”

However Naga Bharan, who heads five Panchakattu Dosa shops across Hyderabad, is not enthused about the inclusion. “This transformation requires a paradigm shift in infrastructure, including our power function,” he says, adding that since private commercial LPG operators have stopped supplying, they are dependent on state-run commercial LPG suppliers like Indane and HP. We are working towards optimizing our resources; For example, we are running one dosa stove instead of two. We are informing customers that there may be a slight delay in orders. Everyone is cooperating and understands the crisis. Now no stove is allowed to run idle. Earlier our dosa stoves used to remain on in anticipation of orders.”

‘High gas consumption items like Asian woks are being limited’

Japtej says, “We are currently trying to keep pace with this rapidly evolving situation. Vendors are not able to supply to us due to a new notification which has classified us as a non-essential service. We are working on optimizing the menu in the restaurants; high gas consumption items like Asian wok or even pizza are being limited and our focus is on preserving our existing gas reserves as much as possible for weekend operations which “Contributes about 40% of our revenue.”

Wherever possible, interchange of equipment is also being explored. Japtej says they are replacing the gas-powered burger griddles they are renting temporarily with electric appliances. “However, such options are only possible for select devices,” he added.

menu changes

Businesses are also considering temporarily changing their menus. Sampath T of Spicy Venue in Hyderabad, who is also a member of NRAI, says, “We can manage the existing stock of commercial LPG for a week, but everyone is working on strategies to deal with the situation. In my restaurants that mostly focus on Indian cooking, we are looking to promote more dishes that do not require prolonged use of LPG. While biryani cannot be skipped, we are looking at deep-fried Indian food at the moment. Considering stir-fry in place of side dishes, switching to induction is not an immediate full-time solution as it will require infrastructure changes and trial runs to achieve the taste required for Indian cuisine.

New restaurants like Kadamba and Naad, which feature a mix of Indian and global cuisine, are trying to maximize the use of electrical appliances and actively promote non-Indian cuisine.

“We will now inform guests immediately when they get their menus about what is available,” says Vikas Pasri, owner of some restaurants including Little Italy, Orlo, Kadman and Naad. “Tandoor specials will remain but the rest is all about planning ahead and hoping there will be no crisis.”

‘We would prefer to close rather than increase prices’

While operating costs are rising, right now, most restaurants are absorbing the difference in prices without passing it on to customers. Vinay Gopal Manik Pradeep, manager of Mana Biryani Vindu, located on Visakhapatnam’s busy MVP Double Road, says, “We would prefer to close down rather than increase prices. We plan to make only biryani for now and will stop serving fried items and heavy starters.”

While supplies in Delhi have not been affected, Radhika Khandelwal, chef-founder of restaurants like Trouble Trouble and Kona Sandwich Shop in Delhi, says they are preparing alternatives. She says, “Even though we have four induction stoves, it doesn’t equate to the 10-burner gas range we have. We also have a grill and pizza oven that require gas.” The government had also banned coal and firewood based tandoors in Delhi-NCR to curb pollution..

This is affecting everyone from luxury hotels to tea shops in the luxurious cities of the country. R Parthasarathy has been a restaurateur for over 35 years and has been running Hotel Sri Ranga in Salem for two decades. “As a hotel industry, we have collectively seen bad times before, but this shortage of commercial cylinders is new,” he says, adding, “I am now managing lunch on wood fire, but for dinner and breakfast, I need cylinders for dosa and parotta.”

Meanwhile, chef Chindi Varadarajulu of Pumpkin Tales and Zhoyu in Chennai is finding energy efficient ways to cook. “Our breads are cooked in electric ovens, and we’ve bought some charcoal-fired stoves for staff meals and to cook larger base sauces, then we can use induction stoves to get the job done.” She also sends me a photo of Sigri, which she’s currently researching, and says, “We’re thinking of going back to the old style of cooking.”

In Coimbatore, the prestigious Annapurna Hotel Rava Onion Dosa, along with Parotta, is already off the menu. And in the next three days, if conditions don’t improve, so will India’s favorite comfort food, the ghee masala dosa. “If I remove dosa, sambar and coffee from the menu, it will cause further inconvenience to the public,” says Jegan S Damodarasamy, CEO of Annapurna Hotels. He, however, said that in an effort to save fuel, dosa will not be available from 10.30 am to 6 pm.

He adds, “When metro cities like Bengaluru have already closed restaurants, it is even more challenging for Tier II cities… At this point, I am just praying. This is the first time in 58 years that we have been open and we have not served dosa in the afternoon.”

With inputs from Prabalika M Bora, Purvaja S, K Jeshi, Barry Rogers and Nivedita Ganguly