India’s decision to temporarily reintroduce kerosene for household use and allow hotels and restaurants to switch to coal and other alternate fuels is a reminder of how quickly global geopolitics can reshape everyday life. The move, prompted by disruptions in West Asia that have effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, illustrates the extent to which the country’s energy security remains vulnerable to distant conflicts. For millions of households and businesses, the consequences of a war thousands of kilometres away have suddenly become tangible in the form of altered fuel supplies, rationed LPG cylinders and a return to fuels that policymakers had spent years trying to phase out. In ordinary circumstances, the reappearance of kerosene as a cooking fuel would appear like a reversal of policy. In the current situation, however, it reflects a pragmatic response to a global crisis that has disrupted one of the world’s most critical energy transit corridors.
The Strait of Hormuz occupies a unique place in the global energy system. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman serves as the primary maritime exit for oil and gas producers in the Gulf, carrying roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and a significant portion of liquefied natural gas. For India, the route is particularly vital. The country imports nearly 88 per cent of its crude oil requirements, half of its LNG needs and a substantial share of the LPG used in households. A large portion of these imports travels through the strait, making any disruption to shipping lanes immediately consequential. The current conflict, which escalated after military strikes and retaliatory attacks in West Asia, has halted the steady flow of tankers through the corridor. What might otherwise appear to be a distant geopolitical flashpoint therefore becomes a direct challenge to India’s energy supply chains.
Yet the crisis also reveals the complex layers of India’s energy dependence. While crude oil supplies can be replaced relatively quickly through purchases from other producers such as Russia, the United States or Africa, LPG presents a different challenge. India consumes more cooking gas than it produces domestically, meaning imports remain essential to meeting demand. A significant portion of these imports has traditionally come from Gulf producers whose shipments must pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Finding alternative supplies is possible, but it involves longer shipping routes and logistical adjustments that cannot happen overnight. In such circumstances, the government’s priority has been clear: protect household cooking fuel supplies even if that means temporarily restricting commercial consumption and allowing businesses to shift to other fuels.
The reintroduction of kerosene carries symbolic weight because it represents a step back from a policy direction India has pursued for more than a decade. Successive governments invested heavily in expanding access to cleaner cooking fuels, particularly through initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which provided millions of low-income households with LPG connections. Cities like Delhi proudly declared themselves kerosene-free as part of efforts to reduce pollution and eliminate the risks associated with the fuel’s misuse and adulteration. That long transition away from kerosene was intended not only to improve public health but also to modernise household energy consumption. Its temporary return underlines how fragile those gains can be when external shocks disrupt supply chains.
At the same time, the government has been careful to emphasise that the country is not facing a broader fuel shortage. Petrol and diesel supplies remain stable, refineries are operating at high capacity, and crude oil imports have been diversified across a larger pool of suppliers. In recent years India has consciously expanded its network of energy partners, purchasing crude from around forty countries compared with fewer than thirty earlier. That diversification has helped cushion the impact of disruptions in any single region. Even so, the current episode demonstrates that diversification alone cannot eliminate vulnerability when a single maritime corridor carries such a large share of global energy trade. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most consequential choke points, and any prolonged disruption there inevitably reverberates across energy markets.
Another challenge confronting policymakers has been the risk of panic buying. Reports of rising LPG bookings in recent days reflect a familiar pattern that accompanies supply scares. When households fear shortages, they often attempt to secure additional cylinders, creating the very pressure they are trying to avoid. The government’s decision to increase the minimum refill interval and expand delivery authentication measures is therefore aimed at preventing hoarding and diversion. By regulating commercial consumption and monitoring distribution more closely, authorities hope to ensure that essential sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions and households continue to receive priority access to fuel. Such measures may appear restrictive, but they are designed to stabilise supply in the midst of uncertainty.
The broader lesson of the current crisis lies in the reminder that energy security cannot be separated from geopolitics. India has made significant progress in diversifying its energy sources and strengthening its refining capacity, yet the country’s dependence on imported fuels remains substantial. As long as large volumes of oil and gas move through a handful of maritime corridors, conflicts in distant regions will continue to carry domestic consequences. The temporary measures announced by the government are therefore best understood as crisis management rather than a structural solution. They buy time while supply chains adjust and alternative shipments arrive.
Ultimately, the situation also underscores the need for a deeper long-term shift in India’s energy strategy. Reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels through expanded domestic production, renewable energy development and improved storage capacity would help insulate the country from external shocks. Such transitions, however, require sustained investment and planning. For the moment, India must navigate the immediate disruptions caused by the conflict in West Asia while ensuring that essential fuel supplies reach households and businesses. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for an extended period, the pressure on supply chains will intensify. But even if the crisis subsides soon, it should leave policymakers with a clear message: energy resilience is not merely an economic concern, but a strategic imperative in an increasingly uncertain world.