The ongoing Middle East conflict has disrupted LPG supply chains to India, leading to noticeable delays in cylinder deliveries across multiple states. While bookings are largely functioning as usual, the ground situation shows that deliveries are taking significantly longer, creating inconvenience and anxiety for households.
In Delhi-NCR, the impact has been particularly visible among lower- and middle-income groups and migrant populations who rely heavily on LPG. Delivery timelines that earlier ranged from one to two days have stretched to a week or more. Some residents reported delays of up to nine days, repeated visits to gas agencies, and even cases where deliveries were falsely marked as completed. Black market prices have surged sharply, with cylinders reportedly being sold for several times their standard cost.
In Uttar Pradesh, the situation remains uneven. While some areas like Bareilly are seeing deliveries within four to five days, others, such as Agra, are experiencing delays of up to 18–20 days. In Varanasi, families have been forced to turn to the black market due to delayed supply, especially in larger households with higher consumption needs.
Karnataka presents a mixed picture. In Bengaluru, some households reported waiting over 25 days without receiving booked cylinders, while in rural areas, panic buying was triggered initially, but supply remains relatively stable. However, in places like Mangaluru, delays of 30–45 days have pushed families to revert to firewood for cooking.
Tamil Nadu has also reported continued shortages in certain regions. While some areas saw temporary improvement, others still face delays of over a month, with reports of no supply vehicles reaching villages for extended periods. Urban consumers have also raised concerns about unusually long waiting periods for booking refills.
In West Bengal, particularly around Kolkata, booking cylinders remains easy, but delivery delays have increased to 7–12 days compared to the earlier 2–3 days. Reports of black market activity persist here as well.
Bihar and Jharkhand are witnessing growing strain among lower-income households. In some areas, delivery times have increased from three to eight days or more, forcing families to return to traditional cooking methods such as firewood and cow-dung cakes due to affordability issues.
In contrast, Gujarat and parts of Mumbai are relatively less affected due to wider access to piped natural gas (PNG), reducing dependence on LPG cylinders. Even where queues exist, availability remains comparatively stable.
States like Rajasthan and Punjab have seen milder disruption, with delays generally ranging from a few days to over a week. However, black market sales continue to be reported, especially among those unwilling to wait.
Overall, the situation has stabilised slightly after the initial panic in March, but a clear supply-demand imbalance remains. Deliveries are slower across most regions, and the burden is disproportionately higher on poorer households that cannot afford inflated black market prices. Areas with access to alternative fuel sources, such as PNG, are coping better, while others remain under strain.
