- By Raju Kumar
- Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:04 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Fuel Crisis: Indian vessel Nanda Devi, carrying 46,500 metric tonnesLPG, arrived at Gujarat's Vadinar port on Tuesday amid reports of a shortage of cylinders. It was the second Indian ship which came to India after a safe transit through the Hormuz Strait amid armed conflict in the Middle East. On Monday evening, the Indian carrier LPG Shivalik, carrying a total of 46,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, arrived at the Mudra Port. Currently, 22 Indian-flagged vessels have been stuck in the Persian Gulf, carrying a total of 611 seafarers. The safe passage of India-linked ships through the critical Strait of Hormuz marks a major diplomatic victory of New Delhi amid intense war in the Gulf.
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Since the war began on February 28, India has adopted a flexible strategy. As the war progressed and its effects reached India, New Delhi changed its game plan to cope with the rapidly changing situation in the Gulf region. In the first few days of the war, the US-Israel looked at an advantageous position. Subsequently, India kept its cards close to its chest. When the LPG situation started deteriorating in India, New Delhi actively engaged with the warring sides and took several moves.
Capitalised Good Relation With US And Israel: Initially, New Delhi actively engaged with the Trump administration and the Israeli leadership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on March 2, 2026, the third day of war. Also, in the first week of war, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarked on a three-day visit to the United States, and he met several top American leaders. The first week of the war was critical for India as well, and during that time, India's stance looked a little tilted towards the US-Israel, which resulted in a big breakthrough as India earned a 30-day waiver from the US sanctions over Russian oil, which provided much-needed relief to New Delhi.
Calculative Moves On Iran: India very cautiously took steps on Iran, weighing output and the US trade pressure. As the LPG crisis spread in India, New Delhi turned its focus to Tehran. Overcoming hiccups, India officially condoled the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 5, 2026, 6 days after his death. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri signed the condolence book at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi. Later, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing India's concern. As soon as India increased its engagement with Tehran, Iran agreed to give safe passage to India-linked ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
India's Active Engagement With Other Gulf Countries: Over one crore Indians live in the Gulf regions. Their safety has been a big concern for India. PM Modi spoke to leaders from eight countries - Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and Israel - within 48 hours after the war in an attempt to ensure the safety of Indians. Also, PM Modi convinced them not to stop the export of fuel to India.
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Diversification of Import Sources: India resorted to the diversification of its fuel sources. Now, India imports crude from around 40 countries. As a result of this diversification, about 70 per cent of crude imports are now coming from routes outside the Strait of Hormuz compared with about 55 per cent earlier. India sharply increased oil imports from Russia and other non-Gulf countries.
Domestic Prioritisation: At home, the government prioritised LPG for domestic use and cut down on supplies to the commercial sector. The government took several steps to debunk rumours through continuous monitoring. The government mandated a LPG cylinder booking gap of 45 days for rural consumers and 25 days for urban consumers.