The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is still rippling across the global economy, and disruption has been particularly acute in parts of Asia, touching everything from gas and energy costs to cooking fuel and fertilizers.

But the shipping logjam in the Persian Gulf is also having unexpected impacts. In India, shops have struggled to keep Diet Coke on the shelves due to a shortage of aluminum cans.

Suppliers told the Reuters news agency that some orders were not being fulfilled due to a can shortage caused by the situation in the Gulf, which accounts for around 9% of global aluminum production. Diet Coke is not sold in plastic bottles in India, unlike most other countries, leaving fans of the drink at risk of losing out.

For Gupta, a 25-year-old marketing and design consultant based in New Delhi, it was an opportunity for fun, so she decided to throw a party celebrating the drink.

“It was a joke,” said Gupta, describing herself as an “avid drinker” of Diet Coke. “I thought only me and two of my friends would show up.”

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Demand for Diet Coke and drinks with alternative sweeteners has surged in India, where nearly 10% of the adult population is diabetic, according to a 2023 study by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The country’s youth, especially, has become health-conscious, Gupta said.

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For a generation that cares about the conflict and is deeply affected by it, it was a way to cut through the gloom and find something fun, even hopeful. Millions in India rely on liquified petroleum gas cylinders for cooking, but they are mostly imported from the Gulf and are in short supply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.