DEHRADUN: A sudden wave of panic buying has swept through markets in Dehradun, with induction cooktops disappearing from retail shelves and online platforms. Driven by anxiety over a possible disruption in LPG supply due to geopolitical tensions between Iran and Israel, residents have begun looking for alternative cooking options, leading to a sharp rise in demand and prices.
Although domestic supplies of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) remain stable and uninterrupted, the psychological impact of unverified reports circulating on social media has triggered a rush for electrical cooking appliances. Local retailers say their stocks have been exhausted within a few days.
"We usually keep limited stock of induction cooktops, as demand is modest on normal days. However, the demand has more than doubled overnight," said Abhishek Sharma, a businessman on Rajpur Road. "Every customer walking into the shop is looking for an induction cooker. We have already sold out our entire lot and have placed emergency orders with our suppliers."
The surge in demand is also reflected on e-commerce platforms, where many models are now marked as “out of stock”. Prices for the available units have increased sharply, rising from the earlier range of Rs 1,500–2,000 to Rs 2,000–3,000.
"The demand is overwhelming," said Vinay Bansal, owner of an electronics showroom in Paltan Bazar. "While companies are replenishing stock, it is being sold as soon as it arrives. While individual customers buy one or two units, those associated with commercial food establishments are purchasing four to five at a time."
In response to the situation, the Uttarakhand Government held an emergency review meeting through video conference on Friday. The meeting was led by the Principal Secretary of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and attended by officials from major oil companies including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Officials said the panic among consumers was unnecessary. "The domestic gas stock in the state is sufficient," said Additional Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari while sharing information from the three oil companies. "The current situation is solely due to panic booking triggered by misleading information on social media. For instance, IOCL alone recorded nearly one lakh bookings in just the last three to four days, despite having ample stock to meet consumer needs," he added.
The state administration has also taken action against those trying to take advantage of the situation. Over the last four days, authorities conducted 460 inspections and 78 raids across the state to check hoarding, black marketing and illegal LPG refilling. Officials have registered four FIRs under the Essential Commodities Act, arrested one person and seized 74 gas cylinders along with illegal refilling equipment. Authorities have urged the public to avoid panic buying.