India’s cooking gas consumption (LPG) fell sharply by 16.16 per cent in April amid supply disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict, according to data released by the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the Oil Ministry.
LPG consumption stood at 2.2 million tonnes in April, down from 2.62 million tonnes in the same month last year and 2.379 million tonnes in March, indicating both year-on-year and month-on-month decline.
The fall comes as India imports nearly 60 per cent of its LPG requirements, much of it routed through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane that was effectively disrupted following military escalation involving US and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliation by Tehran.
With supply chains from major exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also affected, the government reportedly curtailed LPG supply to commercial users, including hotels and industries, to ensure uninterrupted availability for households. The gap between domestic cylinder refills was also widened as part of demand management measures.
Also read: India-bound LPG carrier passes through Strait of Hormuz
According to PPAC data, the year-on-year decline in April was steeper than the 12.8 per cent fall recorded in March, signalling continued pressure on fuel availability in the domestic market.
Despite long-term growth in LPG consumption driven by government efforts to replace firewood and other polluting fuels with cleaner cooking alternatives, short-term supply constraints have reversed the recent trend.
The West Asia conflict has also impacted other petroleum products. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) consumption fell 1.37 per cent year-on-year to 761,000 tonnes in April, down from 807,000 tonnes in March, as airspace restrictions and flight suspensions affected operations across several Gulf routes.
Diesel consumption saw a marginal rise of 0.25 per cent to 8.282 million tonnes in April, significantly lower than the 8.1 per cent growth recorded in March. Petrol consumption increased by 6.36 per cent year-on-year to 3.67 million tonnes, although growth slowed compared to March.
On a yearly comparison with April 2024, diesel sales were up 4.5 per cent while petrol consumption rose 11.7 per cent, reflecting steady underlying demand despite monthly fluctuations.
Follow us
