The Government has assured uninterrupted fuel supply, maritime safety and protection of Indian nationals amid evolving developments in West Asia, while reiterating that coordinated measures are being undertaken across ministries to maintain essential services and safeguard national interests.
The updates were shared during an inter ministerial media briefing held at the National Media Centre where the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ports Shipping and Waterways, and External Affairs presented the latest developments related to energy supplies, shipping operations and the safety of Indian citizens in the region. Similar briefings were earlier conducted on March 11, March 12, March 13 and March 14.
Officials stated that the situation has been closely monitored in view of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its potential impact on global energy and maritime movements.
Energy Supply And Fuel Availability
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed that all refineries across India are operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude oil inventories. India continues to remain self sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel, and no imports are required to meet domestic demand.
Oil Marketing Companies have reported that no fuel dry outs have occurred at retail outlets, and supplies of petrol and diesel are continuing normally across the country. Citizens have been advised not to engage in panic buying as adequate stocks of fuel are available.
In the natural gas sector, priority supplies are being ensured for essential segments. One hundred percent supply continues to be provided to PNG and CNG consumers, while supplies to industrial and commercial consumers are currently regulated at about 80 percent.
Commercial establishments in major cities including hotels, restaurants, hospitals and hostels have been encouraged to shift from LPG to piped natural gas connections where pipeline infrastructure is available.
City Gas Distribution companies have been directed to facilitate quick connections through email, online portals, letters or call centres. Several companies are offering incentives to encourage PNG adoption.
Indraprastha Gas Ltd and GAIL Gas Ltd are offering free gas worth ₹500 to domestic consumers, while Mahanagar Gas Ltd has waived registration charges of ₹500 for domestic PNG consumers and security deposits for commercial consumers. BPCL has also waived security deposits for all commercial PNG connections.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has advised City Gas Distribution entities to accelerate expansion of the network, encourage use of existing connections and reduce timelines for supply commencement.
LPG Supply And Monitoring
LPG supply continues to be closely monitored in view of the prevailing geopolitical situation. No cases of supply disruption have been reported at LPG distributorships.
Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased significantly from about 84 percent earlier to nearly 90 percent across the industry.
Coverage under the Delivery Authentication Code system has expanded from 53 percent before the crisis to around 72 percent, helping prevent diversion of LPG cylinders at the distributor level.
Several State Governments and Union Territories including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Manipur and Maharashtra have issued orders to regulate allocation of non domestic LPG in accordance with Government of India guidelines.
Domestic LPG production from refineries has been increased by about 36 percent to strengthen supply.
Under the LPG Control Order amendment issued on March 14, 2026, consumers with PNG connections are required to surrender their domestic LPG connections and cannot obtain new LPG connections.
Booking intervals have been revised to ensure equitable distribution, with a minimum interval of 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas.
To reduce pressure on LPG demand, the Government has allocated an additional 48000 kilolitres of kerosene to States and Union Territories and encouraged the use of alternate fuels such as kerosene and coal where necessary.
Oil Marketing Companies are promoting digital LPG refill bookings through IVRS, SMS, WhatsApp and mobile applications while discouraging panic bookings.
Enforcement Measures By States
State Governments and Union Territories have established control rooms to monitor the supply of essential commodities including petrol, diesel and LPG.
Enforcement agencies have conducted raids in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Mizoram to prevent hoarding and black marketing.
Officials from public sector Oil Marketing Companies have also carried out surprise inspections at more than 1100 petrol pumps and LPG distributorships to ensure smooth supply and prevent irregularities.
Maritime Safety And Shipping Operations
The Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways informed that all Indian seafarers operating in the Persian Gulf region remain safe and no maritime incident involving Indian crew has been reported in the past 24 hours.
Currently, 22 Indian flagged vessels with 611 seafarers remain positioned in the western part of the Persian Gulf region. The Directorate General of Shipping is monitoring the situation in coordination with ship owners, recruitment agencies and Indian missions.
Two Indian flagged LPG carriers that crossed the Strait of Hormuz on March 14 carrying approximately 92712 metric tonnes of LPG are scheduled to arrive in India shortly.
The vessel Shivalik is expected to berth at Mundra Port around 1700 hours on March 16 with documentation already completed to facilitate priority discharge.
The vessel Nanda Devi is expected to reach India early on the morning of March 17.
Another Indian flagged vessel Jag Laadki carrying approximately 80800 metric tonnes of Murban crude oil departed from the United Arab Emirates on March 14 and is currently en route to India with all crew members safe.
Since the activation of the Directorate General of Shipping control room, authorities have handled 3030 phone calls and about 5497 emails from seafarers, families and maritime stakeholders seeking assistance. In the last 48 hours alone, more than 310 calls and 597 emails were received.
The Directorate General of Shipping has also facilitated the safe repatriation of 286 Indian seafarers from the Gulf region so far, including 33 repatriations in the past two days.
Ports across India are closely monitoring vessel traffic and cargo operations and are providing support to shipping companies. Major ports have offered concessions in anchorage charges, berth hire and storage costs to ease operations.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority has provided temporary transshipment storage for containers bound for the Middle East and granted full rebate on ground rent and dwell time charges along with around 80 percent rebate on reefer container plug in charges for up to fifteen days.
Export bound containers at JNPA have reduced from around 5600 to approximately 3900, and there is currently no congestion at any major port in the country.
Ports are also providing safe anchorage for vessels carrying cargo for Gulf destinations that are temporarily unable to transit.
An inter ministerial coordination group has been established under the Directorate General of Shipping with participation from Customs authorities, port operators and other stakeholders to address operational challenges.
Indian Nationals In West Asia
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the safety and well being of Indian nationals in the region remains the Government’s highest priority.
More than 550 Indian nationals in Iran have crossed into Armenia through land borders with assistance from the Embassy of India in Tehran, while over 90 nationals have crossed into Azerbaijan.
The Embassy of India in Tehran continues to remain fully operational and has relocated Indian students from areas outside Tehran to safer locations within the country.
The Government is also maintaining contact with companies employing Indian seafarers and members of the fishing community in Iran to ensure their safety.
Since February 28, 2026, around 220000 passengers have returned to India from the West Asia and Gulf region.
A special control room established by the Ministry of External Affairs remains operational to assist Indian nationals and their families, while Indian missions across the region continue to operate round the clock helplines and issue advisories.
Flight operations in the region are gradually stabilizing. Services from Dubai International Airport are resuming after a temporary suspension earlier in the day.
Limited flights are also operating from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, with more than 45 flights scheduled to depart for India.
Flights are continuing from airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to destinations in India.
Qatar airspace remains partially open, with Qatar Airways expected to operate three flights to India over the next two days.
Kuwait airspace has remained closed since February 28, and special non scheduled flights by Jazeera Airways are expected to operate to India from Al Qaisumah International Airport in Saudi Arabia.
For Indian nationals in Bahrain and Iraq, where airspace remains closed, transit through Saudi Arabia is being facilitated.
Following the attack in Sohar city in Oman on March 13 in which two Indian nationals lost their lives, the Embassy of India in Muscat is coordinating with families and local authorities. Repatriation of the mortal remains is expected shortly.
The Embassy is also monitoring the condition of injured Indian nationals, none of whom are critically injured.
The Mission team in Basra is assisting the fifteen Indian crew members of the vessel Safesea Vishnu who were evacuated and are currently staying in a hotel in Basra. Authorities are coordinating with Iraqi officials for their early return to India and for repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased Indian national.
Officials said the Government will continue to monitor developments in West Asia closely while coordinating across ministries and agencies to ensure preparedness in energy security, maritime trade and the safety of Indian citizens abroad.
