Amid growing global concerns over the impact of the ongoing West Asia conflict on energy supplies, shipping routes and international trade, the Centre on Monday assured a Parliamentary panel that India remains fully prepared to handle any disruption arising from the crisis and that normalcy in supplies could return within “four to five days” if tensions ease.
The assurance was given during a nearly two-hour-long meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, where senior officials briefed lawmakers on contingency measures being taken to safeguard India’s strategic and economic interests.
The discussions primarily focused on the impact of the escalating West Asia situation on shipping, crude oil supplies, fertiliser imports, logistics, and broader supply-chain stability.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways participated in the meeting, while representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Petroleum Ministry also attended and briefed the panel.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, government officials told the committee that despite rising instability in the region, India currently faces “no immediate crisis” concerning either energy supplies or fertiliser availability.
Officials informed lawmakers that India presently holds strategic and commercial energy reserves sufficient for more than 78 days, providing a substantial buffer in the event of prolonged disruptions in crude oil shipments or maritime trade routes linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, through which a large share of global crude oil and gas supplies move under normal conditions.
Sources said members of the parliamentary panel raised concerns regarding fertiliser imports because more than 30 per cent of India’s fertiliser-linked supplies are dependent on shipping routes passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, officials assured the committee that the government had already diversified import sources and activated alternate procurement arrangements to prevent shortages.
“There is no crisis relating to energy sources or fertiliser. The government is in touch with all available markets, including the US and others,” sources quoted officials as saying during the briefing.
Government representatives additionally informed lawmakers that extensive contingency planning had already been carried out across multiple ministries to ensure uninterrupted functioning of critical supply chains even if the geopolitical situation in West Asia worsens further.
According to sources, one of the most important reassurances during the meeting came from officials overseeing logistics and shipping operations.
They reportedly told the parliamentary panel that if the current war-like conditions begin to de-escalate, normal movement of cargo, crude oil, fertilisers, and essential supplies could resume within approximately four to five days.
The assessment, however, is dependent on major shipping routes remaining operational and avoiding large-scale military disruptions.
The meeting comes at a time when global markets remain increasingly concerned about rising crude oil prices, higher shipping insurance premiums, rerouting of maritime cargo, and disruptions to international trade flows because of the intensifying conflict in West Asia.
India, which imports a significant proportion of its crude oil requirements and fertiliser supplies, has been closely monitoring developments due to its dependence on maritime trade routes passing through the Gulf region.
Sources indicated that the Centre’s strategy currently rests on three major pillars: maintaining strong strategic reserves, diversifying import and sourcing channels, and ensuring close coordination between ministries responsible for shipping, energy, trade, logistics, and diplomacy.
Officials also briefed the parliamentary committee on preparations being made at Indian ports and shipping infrastructure facilities to manage possible rerouting requirements, emergency cargo handling operations, and supply-chain adjustments if tensions continue for a prolonged period.
The government’s assurance to the panel is being viewed as an attempt to calm concerns regarding possible shortages, fuel supply disruptions, and inflationary pressures that could arise if instability in West Asia escalates further and impacts global trade routes more severely.
