A second Indian-flagged LPG tanker arrived in the country early on Tuesday after safely crossing the conflict-torn Strait of Hormuz amid a shortage of cooking gas triggered by the conflict in the Middle East.
The tanker Nanda Devi docked at Gujarat’s Kandla port at about 2:30 a.m., said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. A day earlier, the first vessel, Shivalik, arrived at Mundra port in Gujarat.
India currently relies on imports for about 88% of its crude oil, 50% of its natural gas and 60% of its LPG requirements.
Authorities are also continuing to work to ensure the passage of another 22 Indian vessels still stuck in the region. “In the last 24 hours, 161 Indian sailors have been repatriated and brought back to India after they checked out in the Gulf region,” Sinha said, according to ANI.
Together, the two vessels carry around 92,712 tonnes of LPG, roughly equivalent to the country’s one-day cooking gas requirement. Sinha mentioned that all Indian sailors operating in the Persian Gulf region are safe and no incidents involving Indian ships have been reported in the last 24 hours.
He added that the two LPG ships started their voyage on Friday and successfully left the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday morning, taking the total number of Indian-flagged ships that have safely passed through the conflict-affected zone to four.
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Currently, 22 Indian-flagged vessels and 611 crew members remain in the western gulf, while two ships remain on the eastern side.
Of the Indian-flagged ships still on the western side of the strait, there are six LPG carriers, one LNG tanker, four oil tankers and one carrying chemical cargo. In addition, there are three container vessels and two bulk carriers, one dredger, one empty vessel without cargo and three vessels undergoing routine maintenance in dry dock.
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Among those in the east, the Jag Laadki oil tanker is expected to arrive in India on Tuesday, having sailed safely from the UAE port of Fujairah despite an earlier attack on the terminal carrying about 80,800 tonnes of Murban oil. All 22 Indian crew members on board are said to be safe. Another tanker, the Jag Prakash, carrying petrol from Oman to Africa, also passed the strait without incident and is currently on its way to Tanzania.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) is said to be closely monitoring the situation in coordination with ship owners, agencies and Indian missions abroad.
Sinha noted that India has approximately 3.18 lakh seafarers, of which nearly 90 per cent work on foreign-flagged ships, reflecting their high level of expertise.
He added that to maintain smooth maritime traffic, major Indian ports, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, provide concessions on berthing charges, berth rentals, storage facilities and temporary transhipment.
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The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the open seas, has been effectively closed amid escalating hostilities following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation.
When the conflict began, there were 28 Indian-flagged ships in the area, 24 to the west of the strait and four to the east.
Officials said Indian authorities are maintaining round-the-clock coordination with all stakeholders in the region to ensure the safe movement of the remaining vessels.
The Shipping Ministry conducts a video interaction with crew members of two LPG tankers
Meanwhile, Sinha said Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal conducted a video interaction with the crew members of the two LPG tankers. He further said that the purpose of the interaction was to express gratitude and commend the crew for their selfless and commendable service.
Sonowal said, “Upon reaching Indian shores, interacting with the courageous crew of the Indian-flagged LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi. Their conduct operating in the Persian Gulf and the strategically important Strait of Hormuz underscores the importance of vigilance, coordination and accountability in ensuring safe passage amid evolving global dynamics.”
Before the conflict broke out, more than half of India’s oil imports came from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, all of which depend on the Strait of Hormuz as a key shipping route. Around 85-95% of LPG deliveries and roughly 30% of gas imports also passed through the strait.
While the oil supply disruption was partially mitigated by sourcing from alternative regions such as Russia, West Africa, the United States and Latin America, gas and LPG supplies to industrial and commercial consumers were reduced.
