If you live in Delhi and you refilled your 14.2-kg cooking gas cylinder last month, you paid Rs 853. This month, you're paying Rs 913. That's a Rs 60 jump — the single largest hike in a 12-month period that has already seen prices climb steadily.
The cause is not a mystery. The West Asia war has disrupted global energy supply chains in ways India cannot fully insulate itself from, because the country imports more than 90 percent of its LPG needs from the Gulf — primarily Saudi Arabia and Qatar. More than 40 percent of India's crude oil also comes from the same region.
Here is the full picture of where India's LPG supply situation stands today.
Current Prices Across Cities (April 2026)
A 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder — the standard household size — costs Rs 913 in Delhi, Rs 912.50 in Mumbai, Rs 915.50 in Bengaluru, and Rs 928.50 in Chennai. These are market-rate prices for non-subsidised connections.
The commercial 19-kg cylinder — used in restaurants, dhabas, and small businesses — has seen sharper increases. In Delhi, it now costs Rs 2,078.50, up from Rs 1,740.50 in February. The April 1 revision added Rs 195.50 to the commercial cylinder price. The small 5-kg cylinder, marketed under names like "Chhotu" for migrant workers and walk-in buyers, costs Rs 549 in Delhi and does not require address proof or full KYC.
Oil marketing companies — Indian Oil, BPCL, and HPCL — revise prices on the first of every month. Over the past year, domestic LPG prices have risen by Rs 60. Commercial LPG has jumped by Rs 331 over the same period.
These oil companies are still under-recovering. At the current market-rate price of Rs 913, they are losing roughly Rs 380 per cylinder against actual costs. Whether and when they will be allowed to fully pass this on to consumers is a political as much as a commercial question.
The Supply Situation
The government has moved quickly to manage public anxiety. At an April 9 briefing, Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said there is "no LPG shortage" in the country. Officials have said supply to household distributorships is being maintained at normal levels.
However, commercial users have had a harder time. During the peak of the Strait of Hormuz disruption — when Iran effectively closed the waterway to normal traffic — commercial LPG allocation reportedly fell to just 20 percent of normal. Allocation has since been restored to around 70 percent of pre-crisis levels. For restaurant and hotel owners, this has meant reduced operations, higher costs, and in some cases switching to alternatives like piped natural gas or electric induction cooking.
The government has also doubled the daily quota of 5-kg free-trade cylinders available through distributorships, specifically targeting migrant labourers and informal sector workers. Enforcement against black marketeering has intensified — authorities have conducted over 4,300 raids and seized approximately 56,000 cylinders.
A separate concern is that 18 India-flagged vessels carrying LPG and crude oil were reported stuck in the Strait of Hormuz when the conflict was at its worst. Navigation through the strait now requires coordination with Iranian armed forces, which adds delays, uncertainty, and cost.
Why India is Exposed
India's LPG import dependency is structural, not accidental. Domestic production covers less than 10 percent of demand. The rest comes in as imports, predominantly from the Gulf. This was manageable when the region was stable. The current conflict has exposed the vulnerability.
ONGC chairman J.P. Bhatt said at the Energy Security Conclave organised by PNGRB that India needs to reassess its "traditional reliance on West Asia for oil and gas supplies amid growing global volatility." The strategic petroleum reserve, which India has been building in underground caverns in coastal states, provides a buffer — but it is designed for crude oil, not directly for cooking gas.
The government under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) continues to provide subsidy relief to lower-income households. The subsidy is credited directly to the beneficiary's bank account via Direct Benefit Transfer, rather than lowering the headline price. This means that at the shop, everyone pays Rs 913, but PMUY beneficiaries get a portion back in their accounts.
What People Should Know
Domestic LPG prices (14.2 kg) have held steady at Rs 913 since the March 7 hike and have not changed in April. Commercial prices, however, were revised upward again on April 1.
If you live in a city with piped natural gas connectivity, the government is actively pushing PNG as a more price-stable alternative to bottled LPG. PNG prices are set differently and have not seen the same volatility.
The broader picture is that cooking gas prices in India are likely to remain under pressure for as long as the West Asia conflict continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains a contested, partially-functional waterway. A durable peace deal from the Islamabad talks this weekend — if it happens — would change that calculation significantly.