The Government of India has intensified monitoring and response measures across key sectors including energy supply, maritime operations and the safety of Indian nationals in view of the evolving situation in West Asia. Officials said coordinated actions are being taken to maintain uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG while ensuring the safety of Indian vessels, seafarers and citizens in the region.
Authorities confirmed that all refineries in the country are operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude oil inventories. India remains self sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel and does not require imports of these fuels to meet domestic demand. Oil Marketing Companies have reported no cases of fuel dry outs at retail outlets, and supplies of petrol and diesel are continuing normally across the country.
The government has also taken additional measures to ensure stable LPG availability. An amendment to the LPG Control Order issued on March 14 mandates consumers who already have Piped Natural Gas connections to surrender their domestic LPG connections. The measure is aimed at optimising LPG availability and ensuring equitable distribution of supplies.
Consumers have been advised to book LPG cylinders through digital platforms such as IVRS calls, SMS, WhatsApp and mobile applications of Oil Marketing Companies. Authorities said the proportion of online LPG bookings has increased from 84 percent to around 87 percent, while daily LPG bookings have declined to about 77 lakh compared with 88.8 lakh bookings recorded on March 13.
The government is encouraging commercial LPG consumers in major cities to shift to PNG connections wherever feasible. A review meeting involving senior officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and City Gas Distribution entities was held on March 14 to assess the progress of LPG to PNG conversion.
State governments and Union Territories have stepped up monitoring of the supply situation for essential commodities. Control rooms have been set up in 22 states and Union Territories to oversee supply and distribution and address any complaints related to hoarding or black marketing. Raids are being conducted in several states including Andhra Pradesh and Bihar to check illegal stockpiling of LPG cylinders, while Oil Marketing Companies have intensified inspections at LPG distributorships.
The government has also implemented supply side and demand side measures to stabilise availability. Domestic LPG production has been maximised, booking intervals have been rationalised to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas, and an additional allocation of 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene has been made to states and Union Territories. Alternate fuels including kerosene and coal have been permitted for limited use in sectors such as hospitality and restaurants to reduce pressure on LPG supplies.
In the maritime sector, authorities confirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no new shipping incident involving Indian personnel has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Indian flagged vessel Jag Laadki sailed safely from Fujairah after an incident at the Fujairah oil terminal while it was loading crude oil. The vessel departed at 1030 hours IST carrying about 80,800 metric tonnes of Murban crude oil and is currently bound for India.
Two Indian flagged LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG, which crossed the Strait of Hormuz on March 14, are on their way to India and are scheduled to reach Mundra Port on March 16 and Kandla Port on March 17 respectively.
At present, 22 Indian flagged vessels with 611 seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf region west of the Strait of Hormuz. The Directorate General of Shipping continues to monitor the situation closely in coordination with ship owners, recruitment agencies and Indian missions in the region.
Since activation of its control room, the Directorate General of Shipping has handled 2,995 calls and more than 5,357 emails from seafarers, families and maritime stakeholders seeking information and assistance. So far, 276 Indian seafarers have been repatriated from the Gulf region, including 23 repatriations carried out in the past 24 hours.
Indian ports are closely monitoring vessel movements and cargo operations to minimise disruptions to maritime trade. Authorities said coordination is ongoing with shipping companies, logistics stakeholders and port administrations to ensure continuity of operations.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Indian missions across West Asia remain on high alert and are operating round the clock helplines to assist Indian nationals. The ministry confirmed that the safety and well being of Indian citizens in the region remains the government’s highest priority.
A dedicated control room has been set up to respond to queries from citizens and their families. Indian missions are in regular contact with community organisations and local authorities while providing assistance to stranded Indians and short term visitors through visa support, transit arrangements and logistical help.
Since February 28, around 1,94,000 passengers have returned to India from the region. Flight services are operating from several Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, although schedules remain limited in some locations due to airspace restrictions.
In Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq, where airspace remains closed, transit arrangements through Saudi Arabia are being facilitated for Indian nationals seeking to return home.
Officials confirmed that in earlier incidents linked to the ongoing conflict in the region, five Indian nationals have lost their lives and one Indian national remains missing. Indian missions in Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are continuing coordination with local authorities to trace the missing individual and facilitate the repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased.
The government said it is maintaining close coordination among all concerned ministries and agencies to safeguard energy supplies, ensure the safety of Indian nationals and maintain normal functioning of maritime trade and essential commodity distribution across the country.
