The decline in LPG supply in India is now affecting the kitchens of the common man. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear on Thursday that India is now trying to buy LPG from anywhere โ be it Russia or any other country. The statement came as LPG supply in the country has fallen by about 17%.
In fact, India requires about 900,000 to 100,000 barrels of LPG every day, about 60% of which comes from the Middle East. But ongoing tensions in West Asia, particularly the situation with Iran and the attacks on Qatar, have badly affected supplies. Together, these are directly affecting India’s energy security.
Now, hearing the government’s statement, it seems that the policy of โtake it where you can get it cheapestโ is being adopted. In a sense, this is a practical decision, but it is also important to question it a little.
Firstly โ the government has been talking about โenergy diversificationโ for many years. But if diversification had really happened, why would there be such a big crisis today? The figures themselves show that even today 60% of LPG imports are dependent on the Middle East. This means the โall is wellโ narrative is not as strong on the ground.
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Second โ crude oil imports from Russia are up 50%. This is proven by the official statistics themselves. Now, Russia is also being looked at for LPG. The funny thing on here is that while the world was sanctioning Russia, India was quietly buying cheap oil and seeing its benefits. Now that the LPG crisis came, that Russia became the โbackup planโ.
Third, the US has granted a partial waiver on oil purchases from Russia, allowing India to buy more openly. This means geopolitics is also undergoing an โadjustmentโ, and India is also taking the opportunity to make moves on its own.
Now look at the ground reality โ whether in city or village, the price of LPG cylinders is already heavy on the pockets of the common man. On top of that, decreasing supply clearly means โ either prices will go up, or availability will go down. In both cases, the trouble will be borne by the people.
The government’s strategy is technically correct โ buy where you can find it. But the real question is, will I wake up every time I crisis? Or even strong planning beforehand?
Finally, India is currently in โdamage control modeโ. Trying to get LPG from Russia may provide a temporary relief, but long-term solution will come only if the country reduces import dependency and works seriously on alternative energy.
Otherwise, every time there will be a new crisis, a new statement, and the โfireโ in the kitchen of the common man will become expensive again.
