India on Saturday said it is in touch with all key stakeholders in West Asia to ensure safe passage of Indian-flagged commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure energy security in the country, even as two LPG tankers sail through the vital waterway and head towards Indian ports.
A total of 22 Indian-flagged merchant ships, including six LPG tankers, one LNG tanker and four crude oil tankers, are in the Persian Gulf and awaiting safe passage, officials said at a press conference on the situation in West Asia. The tankers Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying 92,700 metric tons of LPG, transited the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday and are expected to dock in Mundra and Kandla next week, they added.
Since the start of the Iran-US conflict on February 28, India has called for de-escalation, stressed the need to ensure unhindered transit of goods and energy, and urged all parties to avoid targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The Indian leadership reached out to all key interlocutors, including members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Israel, and the United States, and stressed the country’s focus on energy security. “As a result of these multiple communications with all parties involved, some ships bound for India were able to transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Jaiswal said.
Separately, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fatehli said at an India Today meeting that Tehran had allowed some Indian-flagged ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz after communications between President Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Narendra, and Foreign Ministers S Jaishankar and Syed Abbas Araqchi.
“Yes, we allow [the vessels] “But let me not tell you how many there are,” Fathali said, declining to go into details and saying he would continue to follow up on this issue so that more ships could cross the strait. He said: “As an ambassador, I did my best. Of course, there was some delay, but it happened.”
Fathali said that Iran and India have common interests and “any disagreement or gap” between them can be exploited by “enemies.” He added: “Both sides have the maturity to deal with political and social issues together and resolve everything.”
The Shivalik is expected to dock at Mundra port on March 16 and Nanda Devi at Kandla port on March 17, said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Shipping. The authorities issued instructions to prioritize the docking of LPG tankers in Indian ports to maintain energy supply. He said that six LPG tankers arrived at ports from different parts of the world in the past three days.
“Many of our ships remain on standby in the Gulf region. We propose to continue to stay in touch and coordinate with all concerned countries to ensure safe and unhindered transit for them in an effort to ensure our energy security,” Jaiswal said.
Sinha said all Indian sailors in the Arabian Gulf, including 611 sailors on board 22 Indian-flagged ships in the region, were safe. He added that since Friday, 30 Indian sailors have been repatriated to India from the Gulf region, bringing the total number of sailors repatriated to 253.
The 22 Indian-flagged ships currently located west of the Strait of Hormuz also include a chemical products tanker, three container ships, two bulk carriers, a drilling rig, a non-cargo merchant ship, and three ships in dry dock for repair or maintenance.
When asked about the Iranian leadership’s call for the BRICS group, currently led by India, to play a constructive role in upholding security and stability in the region, Jaiswal said that efforts to reach a consensus on a common BRICS position on the conflict were “clearly affected” as some members of the group are “directly involved” in the current situation.
India has facilitated discussions among BRICS members through the Sherpa channel, and the last Sherpa meeting was held virtually on March 12. “We are trying our best to formulate a position, but due to the different positions, it has been difficult… We will continue to remain engaged with the BRICS member states until we can reach a position on this conflict specifically,” Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal responded to another question about the impact of the conflict on fertilizer supplies by saying that India has “more than adequate stocks” of the commodity, especially for the 2026 kharif season.
“Our urea stocks are more than they were at this time last year; our DAP stocks are double what they were last year; and our NPK stock position is much higher today compared to last year. Regarding our domestic urea production, our current production will be more than our nominal consumption, especially as the rabi season comes to an end,” he said.
The authorities advanced the scheduled annual maintenance for some fertilizer plants, and were able to increase production to the maximum using available gas. He added that the Fertilizers Department had launched global tenders “well in advance in anticipation of the current situation” and expected to receive the bulk of the required quantities from various sources by the end of March.
The ministry also decided to purchase spot gas on a competitive basis, and the first phase will be purchased by March 17. “All our international partners have assured us of uninterrupted supplies and we hope to reach and maintain comfortable stock of fertilizers by the time Kharif demand peaks by May 15,” Jaiswal said.
Asim Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said 172,000 Indians have returned home from West Asia since February 28 with air connectivity steadily improving. He said that in countries like Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq, where direct flights are not available, Indian officials are helping stranded people get transit visas or visa extensions.
Indian officials are focusing on helping 10 Indian nationals who were injured in a drone strike on Sohar in Oman on Friday and facilitating the early return of the bodies of two Indians killed in the same incident. Mahajan said officials are also working to ensure the early return of 15 Indian crew members of the merchant ship Safesea Vishnu, which was attacked near Basra in Iraq, and the return of the body of an Indian killed in the same incident.
