New Delhi: A total of 28 Indian-flagged ships with 778 Indian sailors are stranded in the Persian Gulf region due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the government said on Wednesday.
Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the strait, while the rest are in the east, officials said, adding that their safety and security is being actively monitored by the government.
“A total of 24 Indian-flagged vessels with 677 Indian sailors are currently west of the Strait of Hormuz, while four vessels with 101 Indian sailors are east of the key waterway,” Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Transport, told reporters.
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Indians make up nearly 12% of the global seafaring workforce with a total of over 320,000 active seafarers, and attacks on merchant ships during recent conflicts in West Asia have also resulted in Indian casualties.
Two Indians have been killed and another is missing following two recent attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.
Officials said a 24-hour control room has been operational since February 28 at the ministry and Directorate General of Shipping to monitor developments and coordinate assistance.
“The Directorate General of Shipping issued a notification on 28 February 2026 directing Indian-flagged vessels and Indian seafarers to take enhanced security measures and follow reporting protocols, including submission of crew details,” Sinha added.
Energy crisis
As a result of the war in West Asia and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, about a quarter of India’s natural gas supplies have been affected, another official said.
Data from the Ministry of Petroleum shows that India’s total natural gas consumption is about 189 million metric standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd), of which about 97.5 mmscmd is imported.
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Marketing, Ministry of Petroleum said, “Out of imports, about 47.4 mmscmd is affected due to force majeure. conditions. Procurement is underway through alternative routes and deliveries to accommodate this disruption.”
“As I speak to you, two cargoes are moving towards India and will arrive in a few days, which will further strengthen the country’s oil supply position,” she said.
Amid the shortage of gas supply, the government has already cut supply to sectors such as industry and power, prioritizing supply of domestic gas for cooking, compressed natural gas for transport.
Under the Essential Commodities Act, the government on Tuesday directed companies to ensure 100% assured supply of natural gas for City Gas Distribution (CGD). Industries and commercial consumers procuring gas through the national grid will receive 80% of their average supply over the last six months, while fertilizer plants will be supplied with 70% of their average allocation for the period.
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The announcement also orders a 35% cut in gas supplies to refineries and petrochemical companies.
As the country is witnessing a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage, an official said Indian refineries have increased LPG production by 25% over the past week.
On March 8, the Ministry of Petroleum issued an order to oil refineries to increase LPG production and use their excess production for domestic use.
“India imports about 60% of its LPG demand and 90% of it goes through the Strait of Hormuz. The government has taken various steps to deal with this situation… Due to all these efforts, our domestic LPG production has increased by 25% and this domestic LPG is being directed to domestic consumers,” she said. On Tuesday, officials said LPG production in India rose by 10%.
India’s annual LPG requirement is about 31–32 million tonnes (mt), of which about 60–65% is imported, making it the second largest importer of LPG in the world. The country is heavily dependent on supplies from West Asia, mostly from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
India’s LPG imports in FY25 were $12.47 billion, representing 12.8 million tonnes. FY26 imports hit $11.25 billion in January. This fiscal year, as of January, Indian refineries produced 10.6 million tonnes of LPG, according to data from the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC).
No need to panic
Amid reports of panic bookings, the official said there was no need for panic buying but urged consumers to “conserve energy” due to the ongoing crisis in global markets.
On oil supplies, Sharma said, “India’s oil stocks remain secure. Our daily consumption is about 55,000,000 barrels. Due to diversified buying, the volumes we have secured today exceed the volumes that would normally come through the Strait of Hormuz during this period.”
It should be noted that oil companies have secured different types of crude cargo from different sources and as a result of this diversification, about 70% of our oil imports now come from non-Strait of Hormuz routes, compared to about 55% previously.
“As I speak to you, two cargoes are moving towards India and will arrive in a few days, which will further strengthen the country’s oil supply position,” she said.
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Addressing a public rally in Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The conflict in West Asia has affected the energy supply chain of the entire world,” he said. “We believe in the ideology of India – first and foremost. You have seen how our government protects the interests of Indians above all else in any situation. Our efforts will be the same this time too.”
Modi said there was no need to panic or pay attention to rumours. “Let us spread only correct and verified information,” he said, adding that India would navigate through every situation successfully.
In a supply boost, International Energy Agency member countries agreed on Wednesday to put 400 million barrels of oil into the market from their emergency stocks to address any supply disruptions stemming from the war in West Asia.
At the time of writing, the April Brent contract was trading at $90.78 a barrel, up a little more than 3% from the previous close.
Brent crude was at $72.48 per barrel on February 27. On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US positions and warned that the escalation could threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
