LOOK: Fears of shortage drive long queues for LPG in India

Long queues formed outside a gas agency on Thursday (March 12) in northern India’s Noida city, amid growing concerns over supply disruptions and fears of a shortage.

India, an associate International Energy Agency (IEA) member, has seen its crude oil, LPG, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies disrupted due to global shipping constraints arising from war in the Middle East.

India imports about 40% of its oil from the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz. It is also the world's second-largest importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The South Asian country on Wednesday (March 11) asked consumers not to panic about gas supplies and to conserve energy as India struggles to meet domestic demand.

The ‌government has also invoked emergency powers ordering refiners to maximise LPG production and cut sales to industry.

-Production: Bhawika Chhabra, Nurdiana Kamaruzaman, Keval Singh, Ariel Wee/Reuters

People surround a vehicle loaded with LPG cylinders outside a gas agency amid supply disruptions following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ahmedabad, India, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Amit Dave