India’s major public sector utility Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has assured customers of fuel availability amid panic on social media over shortages, as the US-Iran conflict sweeps West Asia.
In a message sent to several customers in the form of SMS alerts in English and Hindi, BPCL said social media claims about fuel shortage are “misleading and baseless”.
“Dear customer, the claims circulating on social media regarding fuel supply shortages are misleading and baseless. There is sufficient availability of fuel in the country. Citizens can rest assured that there is no need to worry. Using fuel wisely always helps.”The state-run oil giant said in the letter.
BPCL’s clarification comes at a time when the Union government is trying to contain panic among the public as the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began a week ago, have plunged the West Asia region into war. Iran responded by targeting US bases in the region, along with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel.
Iranian strikes also hit oil and natural gas infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq and other countries.
The Strait of Hormuz, which passes through a fifth of the world’s oil supplies, is effectively closed, causing more suffering.
Union government says ‘there is no power shortage in India’
Amid growing uncertainty over energy availability, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday sought to allay public concerns. He stated that “there is no energy shortage in India” and that there is no reason for consumers to worry amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
“In my regular interaction with members of the Fourth Estate today, we discussed various aspects of India’s energy imports without interruption despite geopolitical challenges. Our priority is to ensure affordable and sustainable fuel availability for our citizens, and we are doing so comfortably. There is no power shortage in India and there is no cause for concern for our energy consumers,” he said in a post on X.
Government sources quoted by ANI described India’s supplies of oil, petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas as being in a “very comfortable situation”.
Officials confirmed that India has significantly diversified its crude oil import basket over the past few years.
Since 2022, imports from Russia have risen sharply. In February, about 20% of India’s total crude oil imports – about 1.04 million barrels per day – came from Moscow.
State-run Indian Oil Corp dismissed social media posts alleging fuel shortages as “baseless”, stressing that stocks were adequate and distribution networks were operating normally. The company urged citizens not to panic and crowd at gas stations and to rely on official sources to obtain accurate information.
The sources added that all major refineries, including LPG units, have been directed to increase production to ensure adequate availability nationwide. India has also started importing LPG from the US, with public sector companies signing a one-year contract in November 2025 to purchase about 2.2 million tonnes per annum from the US Gulf Coast for 2026.
