With the war in West Asia disrupting cooking gas LPG supplies, India will review its fuel exports if needed to ensure availability in the local markets, Reuters reported, citing a government official.
The government has barred consumers with piped natural gas (PNG) from retaining, obtaining or refilling domestic liquefied petroleum gas cylinders. While also strengthening infrastructure to expedite a shift towards piped gas, a more convenient alternative whose supplies have not been very badly hit.
It has invoked emergency powers and directed refiners to maximise production of LPG, widely used for cooking. It cut sales to the industry to avoid a shortage of 333 million homes with LPG connections.
India is assessing fuel-supply requests from its neighbours and will approve exports only if it has surplus volumes, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Changes in LPG rates so far
Since the start of the US-Iran war on February 28, domestic LPG prices have been revised once, but the cost of commercial cooking gas has been increased twice.
The price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder was raised by ₹60 in March. No revisions in rates have been made after that.
The price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder was first increased by ₹144 in March, followed by another hike of nearly ₹200 on 1 April.
'LPG supply remains stable'
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said domestic LPG supply remains stable, with no dry-outs reported at distributorships.
Online LPG bookings rose to 98 per cent across the industry, while delivery authentication code-based supplies increased to about 92 per cent to curb diversion.
Commercial LPG availability has been raised to around 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels, with additional allocations tied to reforms encouraging a shift to PNG. The government has also doubled daily supplies of 5-kg cylinders for migrant workers via the states. Since late March, more than 19.2 lakh such cylinders have been sold, supported by nationwide outreach campaigns.
Sales of commercial LPG stood at about 123,680 tonnes in April through April 20, equivalent to over 65 lakh 19-kg cylinders, with 8,822 tonnes sold on April 20 alone, she said.
Trump's extended truce keeps Brent below $99
Oil held a two-day gain after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran, even as peace talks faltered and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz kept flows locked up.
Brent traded below $99 a barrel after adding almost 9% in the previous two sessions, while West Texas Intermediate was around $90. Trump said on Tuesday that the US would hold off on fresh attacks on Iran but keep blocking ships linked to the Islamic Republic until "discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
The American president said in a post on Truth Social that if the US lifts its blockade to open the Strait of Hormuz, "there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!"
(With agency inputs)