LPG cylinder price on April 17: Check domestic and commercial gas rates in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata today

The government raised the prices of both domestic and commercial LPG cylinders after the outbreak of conflict in West Asia in February. The increase was driven by supply shortages caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for the global energy shipments.

The US blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports has added to the uncertainty around shipping through the Strait, which traffic has sharply declined since the start of the Iran conflict. Officials said earlier that ships bound for non-Iranian destinations can still transit through the route, though they may encounter increased military presence and communications checks.

Ordinarily, roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas exports transit the Strait of Hormuz. India imports approximately 60% of its LPG needs, and "out of these imports, about 90% through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been impacted due to current happenings," the government said earlier.

Despite the supply crunch in recent weeks, the government has maintained that LPG supply in India remains stable and adequate. It also constantly advised customers to avoid panic booking and hoarding of LPG cylinders.

Domestic LPG rates rise, commercial cylinders hit harder

Domestic LPG prices have been revised once, whereas commercial cooking gas rates were revised twice in the last few months, severely impacting restaurants, eateries, and other businesses who rely on the fuel for operations.

Notably, the price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cannister was raised by ₹60 in March. but no revisions in rates have been made after that, keeping domestic LPG prices steady throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder was first increased by ₹144 in March, followed by another hike of nearly ₹200 on 1 April.

Check city-wise LPG rates on April 17

The changes in LPG prices is part of the monthly price update carried out by state-owned oil marketing companies, which include the Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum. These companies are tasked with periodically adjusting the rates of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and LPG cylinders based on price movements in global energy markets.

International oil prices have shot up by as much as 50% since the conflict began due to blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a crunch of energy supplies, especially for import-dependent countries like India.

Hormuz ship traffic stays low amid blockage

Shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, stayed far below peacetime levels as an effective double blockade has hit vessel movements in the key waterway route.

The number of commercial ships recorded sailing through the route stood at 11 on Tuesday, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. It averaged 16 a day over the weekend. Shipping vessels can switch off their digital transponders to hide their movements in high-risk zones, and the Wall Street Journal cited two US officials as saying more than 20 went through on Tuesday.

While the overall traffic has dropped sharply since the onset of the war, Iran has continued to ship at close to pre-war levels, which has helped maintain global supplies and provided a financial lifeline for the Islamic Republic, the agency reported.