The US-Iran war has impacted cooking gas supplies across the world. Due to this, many Indian households are facing a shortage of cooking gas. Since Iran has almost blocked the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships from Gulf nations like Qatar, the UAE, and Oman from delivering crucial natural gas to other countries.

Why is there a gas shortage?

As a result, households in India that depend on gas are experiencing supply disruptions and higher costs. The government has been prioritising gas supply for essential sectors such as household use. At the same time, India is working to increase domestic production and expand LNG import capacity to manage future demand.

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Indian Oil App number 1 on app store 

Interestingly in this time of huge demand for LPG gas cylinders. Individuals have been flocking to the Google Play store to download the LPG suppliers’ apps, so much so that IndianOil’s apps have surged past ChatGPT to top the chart. The 42 MB app is exactly double the size of OpenAI’s chatbot.

The official LPG booking platform IndianOil ONE has climbed to the top spot on the Google Play Store, as millions of Indian households rush to secure cooking gas cylinders during the ongoing supply crunch. The surge in downloads comes at a time when tensions linked to the US–Iran conflict have disrupted gas supplies. 

The sudden spike in demand has led to panic bookings across the country, pushing LPG booking apps and systems under heavy traffic. 

The booking requests have surged sharply as consumers try to secure refills amid fears of shortages and delays in deliveries. The IndianOil ONE app, which allows users to book LPG cylinders, track orders and manage connections, has therefore become one of the most downloaded apps in India this week.

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Saturday said that people who have Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections will no longer be allowed to keep, obtain or refill domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders after a change in the supply rules. 

This move comes as the intensifying West Asia conflict and subsequent naval blockades have choked critical energy corridors, forcing the government to aggressively prioritise dwindling fuel stocks for those without alternative cooking gas sources.

According to the ministry, the new rule also prevents government oil companies from giving new LPG connections or refilling cylinders for consumers who already have PNG connections.