DELHI, India — Abhishekh Dixit’s restaurant has been feeding people for more than a century, and for all that time the key ingredient was something simple: gas cylinders. Outside his spot in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk market, Parawthe Wala, the air still carries that familiar mix of hot butter and grilled dough. But lately, even that smell feels a bit conditional.
Dixit, 47, said cylinders are getting harder to find as India’s liquefied petroleum gas imports face the squeeze tied to the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Even in the black market, he said, there isn’t certainty—“Everything is being affected, and our suppliers have raised prices by up to 5%.” He also invested in electric stoves, partly to stretch his gas supplies, even if the plan is more patchwork than perfect.
So far, he hasn’t complained about quality falling. The parathas—stuffed with onion and paneer, coated generously in butter—have stayed the same. What’s changed is the math. Dixit said the rising costs have forced him to raise prices too. A typical paratha is now 110 rupees ($1.20), up from 100 rupees before the war, an adjustment that lands directly on ordinary customers’ plates.
The pressure is coming from how quickly disruptions move through energy markets. Misryoum newsroom reporting describes how the impact of the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was felt in Asia almost right away, because the region relies heavily on oil and related exports that run through the Gulf. India, in particular, is a large LPG importer after China, with millions depending on cylinders for cooking. And when shipping routes get tense, supply chains feel it fast—whether people understand the logistics or not.
There’s also a social layer to the shortage, not just the commercial one. Misryoum editorial desk noted that traffic through the waterway came to a halt when the conflict broke out, with no signs of a large-scale resumption even after this week’s ceasefire announcement. For many workers stranded on tankers in the Persian Gulf, some are Indians who haven’t been able to return home. Meanwhile, in early March, panic spread in India’s cities: Misryoum analysis indicates people queued for gas pumps and bought in bulk, even as the government tried to reassure the public there was plenty of supply.
A few doors down, the effect looks different but no less real. Utkarsh Sharma, 26, is the third-generation owner of a place known for rabri, a sweet, condensed-milk dessert. On Friday afternoon, he sat behind a mostly empty counter—not because the dessert had run out, but because he couldn’t secure enough fuel to make more. He said his production has dropped by almost 40% since the start of the war, while costs have risen by a third. “I can’t sustain these prices for longer,” he said, adding that he will have to raise his prices within weeks. It’s a quiet kind of squeeze: customers see fewer items, then later they see higher ones.
In the background, authorities have tried to steer people toward piped natural gas, including door-to-door campaigns. Misryoum newsroom reporting also says India added over 320,000 new PNG connections in March, according to a statement from the country’s oil ministry. Vinay Chauhan, who runs a street food stall nearby, said he was borrowing gas from neighbors and rationing as he cooked. His cheela, made by lightly frying bread in gram flour, uses less fuel than some
other dishes, he explained—though that still doesn’t fix the broader shortage. Anita Devi, 45, has nine people in her family and has been unable to secure gas cylinders for a month; on Friday she waited outside a gas supplier’s office to inquire about a connection. “I am really worried about the gas supply,” she said, hoping for a pipe soon but fearing prices could rise again if the war continues. She added, almost plainly, “I
know how to cook over wood. That’s what we’ll do if the prices go up,” and then… well, you could feel her uncertainty hanging in the air with the cooking smoke.
Inside Islamabad’s convention center as US-Iran peace talks begin
Péter Magyar vows to pursue “plunderers” after landslide win
Russian drone strikes kill in Odesa as Easter ceasefire nears