New Delhi, Mar 11: An inter-ministerial briefing on the recent developments in West Asia was organised at the National Media Centre on Wednesday during which the government advised states and union territories to take action against black marketing and hoarding.
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
An 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
He said that the India’s crude oil supply remains secure.
The officer said that 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.
He said that 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.
The officer said that two additional crude cargoes were already on the way and would arrive in the coming days, further strengthening the crude oil supply position.
He said that refineries across the country were operating at very high capacity utilisation levels, in some cases even above 100 percent capacity utilisation.
Natural Gas
The officer said that India’s total natural gas consumption was about 189 MMSCMD, of which 97.5 MMSCMD was produced domestically.
He said that about 47.4 MMSCMD of supply had been affected due to force majeure conditions.
The officer said that procurement through alternative suppliers and routes was underway to offset this disruption.
He said that gas companies had also secured LNG cargoes from new sources and two LNG cargoes were on their way to the country.
The officer said that the Government issued a Natural Gas Control Order on March 9, 2026, under the Essential Commodities Act to manage gas supplies and protect priority sectors.
He said that domestic PNG supply and CNG for vehicles would receive 100 percent supply with no cuts.
The officer said that tea industries, manufacturing units, and other industrial consumers connected to the gas grid would receive about 80 percent of their previous six-month average supply.
He said that fertiliser plants would 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
The officer said that 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.
He said that on March 8, 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.
The officer said that as a result of these measures, domestic LPG production had increased by about 25 percent and the entire domestic LPG production was being directed towards household consumers.
He said that for non-domestic LPG, priority was being given to essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.
The officer said that three-member committee of Executive Directors from IOCL, HPCL, and BPCL had been constituted to review allocations to restaurants, hotels and other commercial users and to ensure fair and transparent distribution of available LPG supplies.
He said that the current price of a domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi is aRs 913 after a recent Rs 60 increase.
The officer said that for PMUY beneficiaries the price remains Rs 613 per cylinder.
He said that for a PMUY household, the recent increase translates to less than 80 paise per day.
He said that even though the Saudi Contract Price had increased by about 41 percent since July 2023, the PMUY price had fallen by about 32 percent during the same period due to government support.
The officer said that the government has approved Rs 30,000 crore compensation for oil marketing companies for LPG under-recoveries.
He said that field feedback indicates some panic booking and hoarding behaviour. However, the officer said that the normal delivery cycle for domestic LPG remains about 2.5 days and consumers had been advised not to rush-book cylinders.
He said that the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system was being expanded to about 90 percent of consumers to prevent diversion at the distributor level.
The officer said that as a temporary demand-management measure, the minimum gap between LPG bookings had been increased from 21 days to 25 days.
He said that oil marketing companies and enforcement teams were coordinating at the field level to clear distributor backlogs and ensure smooth deliveries.
The officer said that the government was 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
The 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.
It said that of these, 24 vessels were located west of the Strait of Hormuz carrying 677 Indian seafarers, while four vessels were east of the Strait with 101 Indian seafarers onboard.
The ministry said that their safety and security are being actively monitored.
It said that a 24-hour control room had been operational in the Ministry and the Directorate General of Shipping since 28 February 2026 to monitor developments and coordinate assistance.
The ministry said that the Directorate General of Shipping issued advisories on February 28, 2026, directing Indian-flagged vessels and Indian seafarers to adopt enhanced security measures and comply with reporting protocols, including submission of crew details.
It said that the authorities, ship managers, and recruitment agencies were coordinating closely with Indian embassies and local authorities to ensure safety and provide assistance to Indian seafarers wherever required.
The ministry said that port operations across India remain stable and ports had been directed to extend necessary assistance to minimise hardships faced by exporters and ensure continuity of EXIM trade.
It said that major ports were maintaining continuous monitoring of vessel movements, real-time assessment of developments in the region and regular reporting of vessel and cargo status.
The ministry said that it was 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 said that it was maintaining regular interaction with industry stakeholders to provide necessary support to maritime trade and seafarers.
It said that 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 1 crore people in the GCC countries and their welfare and safety remain a priority.
The ministry said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to leaders of several Gulf and West Asian countries including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Israel.
It said that the External Affairs Minister had also been in regular contact with his counterparts in these countries as well as with Iran.
The ministry said that Indian Missions in the region had been issuing regular advisories to Indian nationals.
It said that Ambassadors and Consuls General hadnbeen 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.
It said that the Ministry of External Affairs had established a control room to assist Indian nationals.
The ministry said that the Indian nationals had lost their lives and one remains missing in incidents involving merchant ships that came under attack.
It said that condolences were conveyed to the families.
The ministry said that some injured Indian nationals were receiving treatment and were being assisted by Indian missions.
It said that one Indian national injured in Israel was recovering well and another injured in Dubai was in contact with the Indian Consulate.
The ministry said that about 9000 Indian nationals were currently in Iran.
It said that the Indian mission remains in close contact with the community.
The ministry said that Indian students and pilgrims had been relocated to safer cities outside Tehran.
It said that assistance was also being provided for land border crossings into Armenia and Azerbaijan so that individuals could take commercial flights back to India.
The ministry said that Indian citizens had 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 that the Union Home Secretary held a meeting with the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of all states and union territories.
He said that states and union territories were advised to take strict measures against hoarding of essential commodities and ensure uninterrupted availability of essential supplies.
The officer said that states and UTs were advised to nominate a state-level spokesperson to provide regular and credible updates to the public.
He said that verified updates should be disseminated through official government social media handles, district administrations,nand media partners.
The officer said that 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 was closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and maintaining continuous coordination among the concerned ministries and agencies.
During the meeting it was reiterated that necessary steps were 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 meeting stressed that 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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