India orders state oil firms to hold 30‑day LPG reserves

The Indian government has directed state-run fuel retailers to build liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) reserves sufficient to meet at least 30 days of national demand, a move officials described as a strategic step to safeguard household cooking gas supplies amid ongoing disruptions in global energy markets linked to conflict in West Asia. Petroleum Ministry Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma announced the directive on Friday, stating that oil marketing companies have been instructed to prepare plans for additional storage capacity beyond their regular commercial inventories.

The three state-owned companies—Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited—control approximately 90 percent of the fuel market and have been asked to develop the enhanced reserve plans. Officials said the decision follows a three-month conflict in the Gulf region that disrupted global energy supplies and exposed vulnerabilities in India's supply chains. The country relies heavily on the region for its energy needs, sourcing around 90 percent of its LPG, 65 percent of its natural gas, and nearly 40 percent of its crude oil imports from there.