Amidst the ongoing conflict in West Asia, a relief news has emerged for India. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, domestic production of LPG (cooking gas) in the country has increased rapidly to about 60% of the total requirement, which was about 40% on March 18.
“We have ample stocks of crude oil; our refineries are operating at full capacity. Domestic LPG production has increased and currently meets about 60% of our requirement,” Petroleum Ministry Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma said on Friday (April 10). He said that there are sufficient reserves of crude oil in the country and the refineries are working at full capacity.
According to government data, India’s annual LPG consumption in 2025-26 stood at 33.21 million tonnes. However, consumption declined sharply in March due to supply disruptions following the Middle East conflict that began on February 28. Consumption declined to 2.379 million tonnes in March compared to 3.012 million tonnes in January and 2.822 million tonnes in February, a decline of 26.6% over January.
Before the conflict, India met about 60% of its LPG needs through imports, in which Qatar played a major role. But imports were hit after the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz and the attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas plant.
To deal with the situation, the government cut LPG supply to commercial consumers, while ensuring 100% supply to 33.2 crore domestic consumers. Also, Indian refineries were instructed to increase LPG production by reducing petrochemical production.
Meanwhile, import prospects also seem to be improving. The situation in West Asia is expected to improve with a two-week ceasefire and confidence in Qatar’s continued supplies. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri met Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi during his visit to Doha, where Qatar reiterated its commitment to remain a reliable energy supplier to India.
Both sides welcomed the two-week ceasefire reached on April 8 and expressed hope that global energy supplies would soon return to normal. Experts believe that this increase in domestic production is an important step towards strengthening India’s energy security.
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