Middle East mein chal rahe maslon ki wajah se India ab LPG sirf wahaan se nahi kharidega. US aur Europe se import badha diya hai. Iske karan Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) ka kharcha bahut badh gaya hai, aur March se May 2026 ke beech **₹22,000 Crore** ka nuksaan ho gaya hai.
Kya hua?
Middle East mein jo gadbad chal rahi hai, uske karan India ne apne LPG import ka gameplan hi badal diya hai. Pehle India lagbhag 90% LPG Gulf countries se mangata tha. Lekin ab April 2026 tak, India ne suppliers ki list badha di hai, taaki ek hi jagah par depend na karna pade.
Ismein sabse bada deal US ke saath hua hai, jo late 2025 mein sign hua tha. Ye deal India ki saal bhar ki import requirement ka 10% cover karegi. April 2026 tak, US se aaye LPG ka share total import ka ek-tihaai ho gaya hai, jo February mein sirf 8% tha. Iske alawa, India Iran, Argentina, Chile, France, aur Netherlands se bhi LPG mangane laga hai taaki supply mein koi kami na aaye.
OMCs Par Financial Pressure
Is strategy change ne India ki sarkari Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) – Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, aur Hindustan Petroleum – par kaafi financial dabaav bana diya hai. Ye companies hi LPG import aur distribute karti hain.
Middle East mein conflict ke chalte, Saudi Aramco Contract Price February aur June 2026 ke beech 46% badh gaya. Jabki global import costs badhi, domestic retail prices utni nahi badhi.
Is gap ki wajah se OMCs ko zabardast under-recoveries hui hain. May 2026 tak, ek 14.2-kg domestic cylinder par ₹651 ka nuksaan ho raha tha. March se May 2026 tak, kul nuksaan lagbhag ₹22,000 Crore ho gaya hai. Domestic household cylinders ke price mein sirf 10% ka hike hua hai, lekin commercial aur industrial users ke liye prices 79% se bhi zyada badh gaye hain.
Logistics Aur Demand Ki Challenges
Middle Eastern suppliers se hatkar US, Europe, aur South America se LPG mangane mein shipping ka distance kaafi badh gaya hai. Iske karan freight aur transportation costs bhi zyada lag rahe hain, jisse import bill aur badh gaya hai.
Price badhne se demand par bhi asar pada hai. April 2026 mein consumption figures February ke 3.2 million tonnes se kam hokar 2.47 million tonnes ho gaye. Yeh kami khaas taur par industrial aur commercial users mein dekhi gayi hai, jo price fluctuations ke liye zyada sensitive hote hain.
Investors Ko Kya Dekhna Hai?
Investors ke liye sabse important hai OMCs ki financial health par nazar rakhna. Itne high under-recoveries ke saath, yeh dekhna hoga ki government in losses ko cover karne ke liye koi compensation ya subsidy degi, ya companies ko khud yeh bojh uthana padega, jisse unke profit margins kam ho sakte hain. Investors ko global LPG price trends aur trade routes ke stable hone par bhi dhyaan dena chahiye, kyunki yeh seedha OMCs ke cost structure ko affect karta hai. Iske alawa, commercial LPG usage mein volume trends se pata chalega ki demand in price increases ke liye kitni sensitive hai.