India’s LPG crisis: The cost of weak energy planning

For most households in India, LPG is part of a routine. You keep track of when the cylinder will run out, you book a refill in advance, and you plan around it.

It’s not a seamless process, but it works. Until it suddenly doesn’t.

Right now, across India, that routine is breaking down. Households are waiting days, sometimes weeks, for refills. Restaurants are shutting kitchens. Public transport is hit. Factories are slowing down, or stopping work altogether.

And what looks like a supply delay is quietly turning into something much bigger — an economic disruption, a policy stress test.

Because this isn’t just about a shortage.

It’s about how a global conflict, thousands of kilometres away, exposed the fragility of India’s energy supply chain almost overnight. 

How the Modi government’s default response was denial

What could have been done to avoid this crisis

And what can be done to strengthen the system now. 

Let me explain.

This analysis was republished from The News Minute as part of The News Minute-Newslaundry alliance. Read about our partnership here and become a subscriber here.