India has temporarily allowed the use of kerosene for household cooking and permitted hotels and restaurants to use coal and other alternative fuels as disruptions in energy supplies from the Middle East continue amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran. The move is intended to reduce pressure on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies and ensure that cooking fuel remains available across the country.
The decision reflects not only a short-term response to global supply uncertainty but also highlights how vulnerable India can be when LPG availability comes under stress. However, bringing kerosene back into wider use is far from straightforward because the fuel has steadily disappeared from everyday life over the past decade.
A Fuel That Once Defined Everyday Cooking
Kerosene was once a common fuel in Indian households. In the 1990s, it was widely used for cooking and lighting, especially in homes that did not have access to LPG or reliable electricity. Families commonly used kerosene stoves to prepare meals, while kerosene lamps provided light during evenings and power outages.
For millions of households across urban and rural India, kerosene was an essential part of daily life. Its availability through ration shops made it accessible and affordable, particularly for lower-income families.
Over time, however, its role began to fade as cleaner and more efficient energy options expanded across the country.
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Government Moves to Ease Pressure on LPG
The government’s recent steps are aimed at managing fuel demand during a period of international energy uncertainty. Speaking in Parliament, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that India currently has sufficient fuel supplies and that distribution systems are operating normally.
According to the minister, the country is not facing shortages of petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation turbine fuel, or fuel oil. He emphasized that supply chains are functioning smoothly despite global disruptions.
At the same time, authorities are taking precautionary measures to reduce pressure on LPG consumption. Kerosene is being made available through retail outlets as well as through the Public Distribution System, while fuel oil is being supplied to industrial and commercial users.
In a related step, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has advised State Pollution Control Boards to allow hotels and restaurants to temporarily use alternate fuels. For a period of one month, establishments are permitted to use biomass, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellets, kerosene, and coal as substitutes for conventional fuels.
Decade of Decline in Kerosene Use
Although kerosene has been reintroduced as an emergency option, the fuel’s presence in India’s energy system has dramatically declined over the past several years.
Data from Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in the India Energy Statistics 2025 report shows a steep fall in both production and consumption. Between the financial years 2016-17 and 2023-24, kerosene production dropped by about 83 percent. Output fell from roughly 6 million metric tonnes to just around 1 million metric tonne during that period.
The fall in consumption has been even sharper. Household kerosene use declined from 5.30 million metric tonnes in 2017 to only 0.30 million metric tonne in 2024, representing a reduction of nearly 94 percent.
These figures illustrate how quickly the country has moved away from kerosene as a primary cooking fuel.
Cleaner Fuel Policies Changed the Landscape
A major reason for this decline has been India’s long-term push toward cleaner energy sources for household cooking. Government initiatives significantly expanded access to LPG, enabling millions of families to shift away from traditional fuels.
As LPG connections became more widely available, demand for kerosene steadily dropped. Businesses, including restaurants and hotels, also transitioned to other energy sources that offered greater efficiency and cleaner combustion.
Several states eventually declared themselves “kerosene-free,” ending the distribution of subsidized kerosene through ration shops under the Public Distribution System. This shift was seen as a key step in reducing indoor air pollution and improving public health outcomes.
Practical Challenges in Reviving an Old Fuel
The sharp decline in kerosene use now presents a practical challenge. Even if supplies are made available again, many households and businesses may no longer have the equipment required to use the fuel.
Kerosene stoves, once common in kitchens, have largely disappeared as families replaced them with LPG cylinders and modern cooking appliances. Hotels and restaurants have also adapted their kitchens to other fuel systems over the years.
As a result, switching back to kerosene quickly may not be feasible for many users despite the government’s temporary policy shift.
Emergency Option Rather Than a Long-Term Solution
India still retains the ability to turn to kerosene during periods of energy stress. However, the scale at which the fuel can be used today is far smaller than it was in the past.
Production levels have dropped sharply, and consumption has declined even more dramatically. What was once a backbone of household cooking across the country now survives largely as a contingency option.
The current policy move underscores how much India’s energy landscape has changed. While kerosene can still serve as a short-term fallback in emergencies, it no longer holds the central role it once played in Indian kitchens.
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