Inter-Ministerial Briefing held on Recent Developments in West Asia

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 7:56PM by PIB Delhi

An inter-ministerial briefing on the recent developments in West Asia was organised at the National Media Centre today. Senior officers from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting briefed the media on the preparedness measures and steps being taken by the Government of India in response to the evolving situation in the region. The briefing provided updates on energy supply preparedness, maritime safety, welfare of Indian nationals abroad and communication measures being undertaken by the Government.

Energy Supply and Fuel Availability

Officer from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas briefed the media on the fuel supply situation and the steps being taken to ensure uninterrupted energy supplies.

Crude Oil

• India’s crude oil supply remains secure. India’s daily consumption is about 55 lakh barrels and through diversified procurement the volumes secured currently exceed what would normally have arrived through the Strait of Hormuz during this period.
• India now imports crude from around 40 countries. As a result of this diversification, about 70 percent of crude imports are now coming from routes outside the Strait of Hormuz compared with about 55 percent earlier.
• Two additional crude cargoes are already on the way and will arrive in the coming days, further strengthening the crude oil supply position.
• Refineries across the country are operating at very high capacity utilisation levels, in some cases even above 100 percent capacity utilisation.

Natural Gas

• India’s total natural gas consumption is about 189 MMSCMD, of which 97.5 MMSCMD is produced domestically. About 47.4 MMSCMD of supply has been affected due to force majeure conditions.
• Procurement through alternative suppliers and routes is underway to offset this disruption. Gas companies have also secured LNG cargoes from new sources and two LNG cargoes are on their way to the country.
• The Government issued a Natural Gas Control Order on 9 March 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act to manage gas supplies and protect priority sectors.
• Domestic PNG supply and CNG for vehicles will receive 100 percent supply with no cuts.
• Tea industries, manufacturing units and other industrial consumers connected to the gas grid will receive about 80 percent of their previous six-month average supply.
• Fertiliser plants will receive about 70 percent supply, while refineries and petrochemical units will take a reduction of about 35 percent so that higher priority sectors can be protected.

LPG

• India imports about 60 percent of its LPG consumption and out of these imports about 90 percent come through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been impacted due to current happenings.
• On 8 March 2026, the Government issued an order directing refineries and petrochemical complexes to maximise LPG production by diverting propane, butane, propylene and butenes streams to the LPG pool. As a result of these measures, domestic LPG production has increased by about 25 percent and the entire domestic LPG production 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 of Executive Directors from IOCL, HPCL and BPCL has been constituted to review allocations to restaurants, hotels and other commercial users and to ensure fair and transparent distribution of available LPG supplies.
• The current price of a domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi is ₹913 after a recent ₹60 increase. For PMUY beneficiaries the price remains ₹613 per cylinder.
• For a PMUY household, the recent increase translates to less than 80 paise per day.
• Even though the Saudi Contract Price has increased by about 41 percent since July 2023, the PMUY price has fallen by about 32 percent during the same period due to government support.
• The Government has approved ₹30,000 crore compensation for oil marketing companies for LPG under-recoveries.
• Field feedback indicates some panic booking and hoarding behaviour. However, the normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about 2.5 days and consumers have been advised not to rush-book cylinders.
• The Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system is being expanded to about 90 percent of consumers to prevent diversion at the distributor level.
• As a temporary demand-management 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.
• The Government is continuously monitoring the global situation and taking necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies and protect households and priority sectors.

Maritime Safety and Shipping Operations

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways informed the media about the prevailing maritime situation in the Persian Gulf region and the steps being taken to safeguard Indian seafarers, vessels and maritime trade operations. As per the Ministry: 

• At present, 28 Indian-flagged vessels are operating in the Persian Gulf region. Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the Strait of Hormuz carrying 677 Indian seafarers, while 4 vessels are east of the Strait with 101 Indian seafarers onboard. Their safety and security are being actively monitored.
• A 24-hour control room has been operational in the Ministry and the Directorate General of Shipping since 28 February 2026 to monitor developments and coordinate assistance.
• The Directorate General of Shipping issued advisories on 28 February 2026 directing Indian-flagged vessels and Indian seafarers to adopt enhanced security measures and comply with reporting protocols, including submission of crew details.
• Authorities, ship managers and recruitment agencies are coordinating closely with Indian embassies and local authorities to ensure safety and provide assistance to Indian seafarers wherever required.
• Port operations across India remain stable and ports have been directed to extend necessary assistance to minimise hardships faced by exporters and ensure continuity of EXIM trade.
• Major ports are maintaining continuous monitoring of vessel movements, real-time assessment of developments in the region and regular reporting of vessel and cargo status.
• The Ministry is closely monitoring the evolving maritime situation in the Persian Gulf region with a focus on the safety of Indian seafarers and Indian-flagged vessels.
• The Ministry is maintaining regular interaction with industry stakeholders to provide necessary support to maritime trade and seafarers.
• The Government remains committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers and protecting India’s maritime interests.

Safety of Indian Nationals in the Region

The Ministry of External Affairs provided an update on the situation concerning Indian nationals in the region and highlighted the efforts being made through Indian Missions to ensure the safety and welfare of the Indian diaspora. It said:

• India has a large diaspora of about one crore people in the GCC countries and their welfare and safety remain a priority.
• The Prime Minister has spoken to leaders of several Gulf and West Asian countries including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Israel.
• The External Affairs Minister has also been in regular contact with his counterparts in these countries as well as with Iran.
• Indian Missions in the region have been issuing regular advisories to Indian nationals.
• Ambassadors and Consuls General have been engaging with community members to ensure their safety and security.
• Missions have assisted stranded Indians, including tourists and transit passengers, to return home through available commercial flight options from locations such as Muscat, Riyadh and Jeddah.
• The Ministry of External Affairs has established a control room to assist Indian nationals.
• Two Indian nationals have lost their lives and one remains missing in incidents involving merchant ships that came under attack. Condolences were conveyed to the families.
• Some injured Indian nationals are receiving treatment and are being assisted by Indian missions. One Indian national injured in Israel is recovering well and another injured in Dubai is in contact with the Indian Consulate.
• About 9,000 Indian nationals are currently in Iran. The Indian mission remains in close contact with the community.
• Indian students and pilgrims have been relocated to safer cities outside Tehran.
• Assistance is also being provided for land border crossings into Armenia and Azerbaijan so that individuals can take commercial flights back to India.
• Citizens have been advised to follow the official social media handles of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions for regular updates.

Public Communication and Monitoring of Essential Supplies:

The Officer from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting emphasised on following points during the briefing:

• The Union Home Secretary held a meeting with the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of all States and Union Territories.
• States and Union Territories were advised to take strict measures against hoarding of essential commodities and ensure uninterrupted availability of essential supplies.
• States and UTs were advised to nominate a state-level spokesperson to provide regular and credible updates to the public.
• Verified updates should be disseminated through official government social media handles, district administrations and media partners.
• Local administration should be utilised as communication multipliers, with District Collectors, Police Commissioners and Municipal Authorities proactively engaging with the public and serving as credible sources of information.

The briefing highlighted that the Government of India is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and maintaining continuous coordination among the concerned Ministries and agencies. It was reiterated that necessary steps are being taken to ensure energy security, safeguard Indian nationals in the region, maintain the safety of maritime operations and ensure the uninterrupted availability of essential supplies. The Government remains committed to keeping the public informed and taking timely measures to protect India’s interests during the evolving situation.

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MN

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