New Delhi, Mar 11 (JKNS): The Government of India (GOI) on Wednesday said that the country’s energy supplies remain stable despite the evolving tensions in West Asia, with nearly 70 percent of crude oil imports now being routed through alternative routes outside the Strait of Hormuz as part of a broader diversification strategy.
An inter ministerial briefing on the recent developments in West Asia was held at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, as per news agency JKNS, Senior officials from the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, External Affairs, Ports Shipping and Waterways, and Information and Broadcasting briefed the media about the preparedness measures being taken by the government in response to the situation in the region.
The briefing, covered updates on energy supply preparedness, maritime safety, welfare of Indian nationals abroad and public communication measures.
Energy Supply and Fuel Availability
An officer from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed that India’s crude oil supply remains secure. The country consumes about 55 lakh barrels of crude oil per day and through diversified procurement the volumes secured currently exceed what would normally arrive through the Strait of Hormuz.
India now imports crude oil from nearly 40 countries. Due to this diversification, around 70 percent of imports are now coming through routes outside the Strait of Hormuz compared to about 55 percent earlier.
Officials said two additional crude cargoes are already on the way and will arrive in the coming days, further strengthening the country’s supply position. Refineries across India are currently operating at very high capacity utilisation levels, in some cases even above 100 percent.
Natural Gas
India’s total natural gas consumption is around 189 MMSCMD, of which 97.5 MMSCMD is produced domestically. Around 47.4 MMSCMD of supply has been affected due to force majeure conditions.
The government said procurement through alternative suppliers and routes is underway to offset the disruption. Gas companies have also secured LNG cargoes from new sources and two LNG cargoes are already on their way to India.
To manage gas supplies and protect priority sectors, the government issued a Natural Gas Control Order on March 9, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act.
Under the current arrangement, domestic PNG supply and CNG for vehicles will continue to receive full supply without cuts. Tea industries, manufacturing units and other industrial consumers connected to the gas grid will receive around 80 percent of their previous six month average supply.
Fertiliser plants will receive around 70 percent supply, while refineries and petrochemical units will see a reduction of about 35 percent so that priority sectors remain protected.
LPG Supply
Officials said India imports nearly 60 percent of its LPG consumption and about 90 percent of these imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been affected by the ongoing situation.
To address this, the government issued directions on March 8 asking refineries and petrochemical complexes to maximise LPG production by diverting propane, butane, propylene and butenes streams into the LPG pool.
As a result, domestic LPG production has increased by nearly 25 percent and the entire domestic output is being directed towards household consumers.
For non domestic LPG, priority is being given to essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.
A three member committee comprising executive directors of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL has also been constituted to review LPG allocations to restaurants, hotels and other commercial users to ensure fair and transparent distribution.
Officials said the price of a domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi currently stands at ₹913 after a recent ₹60 increase, while the price for PMUY beneficiaries remains ₹613 per cylinder.
The government has also approved ₹30000 crore compensation for oil marketing companies to offset LPG under recoveries.
Authorities said some panic booking and hoarding behaviour has been reported in certain areas, though the normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains around two and a half days. Consumers have been advised not to rush book cylinders.
The Delivery Authentication Code system is also being expanded to nearly 90 percent of consumers to prevent diversion at the distributor level. As a temporary measure, the minimum gap between LPG bookings has been increased from 21 days to 25 days.
Oil marketing companies and enforcement teams are coordinating at the field level to clear distributor backlogs and ensure smooth deliveries.
Maritime Safety and Shipping Operations
The Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways informed that 28 Indian flagged vessels are currently operating in the Persian Gulf region. Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the Strait of Hormuz carrying 677 Indian seafarers, while four vessels are east of the strait with 101 Indian seafarers onboard.
A 24 hour control room has been operational in the ministry and the Directorate General of Shipping since February 28 to monitor developments and coordinate assistance.
Indian flagged vessels and seafarers have been advised to adopt enhanced security measures and comply with reporting protocols including submission of crew details.
Officials said port operations across India remain stable and ports have been directed to extend necessary assistance to exporters to ensure continuity of EXIM trade.
Safety of Indian Nationals
The Ministry of External Affairs said India has a large diaspora of nearly one crore people in GCC countries and their welfare and safety remain a priority.
Indian missions in the region have been issuing regular advisories and assisting stranded Indians including tourists and transit passengers through available commercial flight options.
A control room has also been established by the ministry to assist Indian nationals.
Officials said two Indian nationals have lost their lives and one remains missing in incidents involving merchant ships that came under attack. Some injured Indians are receiving treatment with assistance from Indian missions.
Around 9000 Indian nationals are currently in Iran and the Indian mission remains in close contact with them. Students and pilgrims have been relocated to safer cities outside Tehran while assistance is being provided for land border crossings into Armenia and Azerbaijan for onward travel to India.
Monitoring of Essential Supplies
During the briefing it was also informed that the Union Home Secretary held a meeting with Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of all states and union territories.
States and union territories have been advised to take strict action against hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities and ensure uninterrupted availability of supplies.
They have also been asked to nominate state level spokespersons to provide regular and credible updates to the public through official government platforms and district administrations.
The government said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and maintaining coordination among concerned ministries to safeguard India’s energy security, maritime interests and the welfare of its citizens abroad. (JKNS)
