The repercussions of a conflict being fought nearly 3,000km away are now being felt in India's homes.
As military actions on Iran impede energy transports through the Strait of Hormuz, supplies of kitchen fuel are dwindling across India, forcing restaurants to cut menus, close earlier and in some cases close completely.
Social media is awash with video clips showing queues outside cooking-gas dealers across Indian metros and localities as concerns over fuel supplies escalate. Businesses appear the hardest struck: the most severe shortage is in food service establishments.
"The situation is dire. Kitchen fuel simply cannot be found," says a official of the an industry group.
Most eateries run either on business-grade gas tanks or pipeline-supplied fuel, and the lack of supply are now being noticed across the country. "Many restaurants have ceased operations - some in the capital, many in the south. People are turning to coal and wood and electronic appliances to keep food preparation going."
In a financial hub, local news say up to a 20% of hospitality businesses are already operating at reduced capacity as commercial LPG supplies dwindle. In the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, some restaurants say their cylinder inventory have shrunk with minimal reserves. "We can only make coffee and no food items - it is extremely difficult. Operations will be impacted," says a chain proprietor in Bengaluru.
Restaurant owners are rushing to adjust. "Food options are being cut, some are cutting lunch service and operating solely in the evening," an industry representative says, adding that closures are varying as supplies ebb and flow. "A number of eateries in Delhi were shut yesterday - some have resumed operations. It's a dynamic scenario."
Retailers report a surge in sales of induction stoves, with some saying they are facing stockouts.
Yet, the government insists there is adequate supply.
India has more than 30 crore household consumers and authorities say stocks are being reallocated to households as geopolitical strain from the regional hostilities affect energy markets.
About a majority of India's LPG is brought in from overseas, and about nine out of ten of those consignments pass through the key maritime route, the strategic bottleneck now effectively closed by the war.
The relevant department says that it directed refineries to increase LPG output for domestic use, lifting domestic production by about a quarter. Non-domestic supply is being allocated for vital industries such as healthcare and education, while distribution will be "equitable and clear".
"Unnecessary hoarding and stockpiling has been triggered by rumors. The standard supply timeline for household cylinders remains about 60 hours," says a government spokesperson.
Now the worry is extending beyond kitchens. On social media, a widely shared video from Chennai shows a lengthy, winding line of motorbikes outside a fuel station. "Anxiety is palpable," the text reads.
According to reports from energy specialists, concerns about India's broader petroleum stocks may be overstated.
India imports almost all of its oil. Around a significant portion of its crude oil imports - about 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels a day - travel through the waterway, largely from Gulf countries.
Even if petroleum transit through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked, the shortfall could be partly offset by higher imports of Russian petroleum, according to a refinery and oil markets analyst.
Based on vessel tracking and expert analysis, incremental Russian crude imports could reach around 1-1.2 million barrels a day, narrowing India's effective shortfall from exposure to the Strait of Hormuz to about 1.6 million barrels a day.
"A large quantity of Russian oil barrels are currently floating on ships in the Indian Ocean and, with only key buyers as major buyers, those barrels remain a ready fallback," an analyst noted.
The primary concern is cooking gas, analysts say.
India consumes roughly 1 million barrels a day, but produces only less than half domestically, importing the rest - most of it through the Strait.
Refineries can adjust processes to produce a bit more LPG, but even a moderate increase would only lift domestic supply to about around half of demand, leaving the country largely dependent on imports.
In short: "Oil import vulnerability can be somewhat alleviated through alternative sourcing. Fuel availability remains relatively comfortable. LPG availability is the real variable to watch in the coming weeks."
What may be heightening the anxiety on the ground is not just tight supply but uneven distribution - and the common threat of stockpiling.
An industry representative alleges exploitative practices.
"Suppliers are misusing the situation - black-marketing cylinders and selling them at a premium. In one small town, I heard of cylinders being stockpiled and sold to the highest bidder."
For now, India's oil supplies may be protected by worldwide shipping. But in restaurants across the country, the more pressing concern is simple: how to get the next gas canister.
