India Ensures Uninterrupted LPG, PNG Supply Amid West Asia Crisis; Over 2,300 Seafarers Repatriated
Officials said all Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf are safe, with 2,337 repatriated and port operations running normally, reports ETV Bharat's Surabhi Gupta.
Published : April 15, 2026 at 3:56 PM IST
New Delhi: Even as geopolitical tensions in West Asia disrupted global energy supply chains, the Government of India has managed to ensure uninterrupted access to essential fuels such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for domestic consumers, while simultaneously safeguarding maritime operations and repatriating Indian seafarers from the conflict-hit region.
At the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the government had taken “effective and calibrated steps” to stabilise the country’s energy ecosystem.
“Due to the West Asia crisis, India's energy supplies were also affected. But the government has ensured 100 per cent supply of domestic PNG and LPG by prioritising household consumers. CNG transport has also been maintained at 100 per cent,” Sharma said.
Strategic Measures to Maintain Supply
To counter disruptions, domestic refineries were instructed to ramp up LPG production. Additionally, the government revised booking intervals for LPG cylinders, set at 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural regions, to regulate demand and prevent shortages.
These steps helped the government gradually restore commercial LPG supplies, which had initially been impacted. According to officials, nearly 70 per cent of commercial LPG supply has now been reinstated.
“Since March 14, around 1.34 lakh tonnes of commercial LPG have been sold in a calibrated manner to avoid supply chain disruptions,” Sharma added.
The government also prioritised supply to critical sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions, and key industries including pharmaceuticals, automobiles, steel, and agriculture to ensure that essential services remained unaffected.
Consumer-Centric Approach and Digital Push
Authorities stressed that LPG deliveries continued uninterrupted during the crisis period as there were no reports of shortages from distributors. One of the reasons for this uninterrupted supply was due to the broad adoption of online technology.
Almost all LPG bookings (around 98 percent) were done through online channels. Also, over 93 percent of LPG deliveries were completed through secure methods using customer authentication.
To enhance accessibility, especially among economically vulnerable groups, the government doubled the availability of smaller 5 kg LPG cylinders. Oil marketing companies also organised extensive outreach programmes to boost awareness and distribution.
“Since April 3, around 5,000 awareness camps have been conducted, resulting in the sale of nearly 57,800 cylinders. Overall, around 14.6 lakh 5 kg cylinders have been sold since March 23,” Sharma said.
In addition, alternate fuel options such as kerosene and coal were made available as contingency measures to ensure no household was left without energy access.
Industrial Support and Feedstock Allocation
In addition to domestic consumption, efforts were made by the government to ensure sufficient supply of LPG to industries and petrochemical manufacturing facilities as well. A joint working group was formed on March 24, 2020, to coordinate the delivery of feedstocks to industrial consumers.
As part of that effort, hydrocarbon C3 and C4 were designated as feedstocks for use in petrochemical manufacturing; approximately 1,000 tons of LPG per day were provided to pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers.
CGD networks were directed to supply all types of industries essential for the use of LPG; approximately 95 percent of natural gas delivered could be utilised by fertiliser manufacturers, who play a key role in sustaining agricultural production.
Stopping Hoarding and Black Marketing
To prevent inappropriate activity during the crisis period, control rooms had been established across all states and Union Territories. Monitoring committees conducted over 2,100 surprise inspections, leading to penalties against 237 LPG distributors and suspension of 58 others for violations such as hoarding and black marketing.
Reassuring citizens, Sharma said, “We have sufficient supplies available. Consumers are advised to use LPG, petrol, and diesel as required without panic.”
Maritime Safety and Seafarer Repatriation
Alongside energy concerns, the government also addressed the safety of Indian maritime assets operating in the volatile Persian Gulf region.
Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said, “All Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf region are currently safe. No incident reports involving Indian-flagged vessels have been received in the past 24 hours. The Ministry, through DG Shipping, has facilitated the safe repatriation of 2,337 Indian seafarers, of which 75 have been repatriated in the past 24 hours. Operations at all Indian ports are normal, and no reports of congestion have been received.”
“The Directorate General of Shipping is maintaining round-the-clock monitoring of Indian vessels and crew members in the Persian Gulf. All ports in India are functioning normally, with no congestion reported,” Mangal said.
Strategic Breakthrough: ‘Jag Vikram’ Arrival
In a significant development, the Indian-flagged LPG vessel Jag Vikram successfully navigated the strategically sensitive Strait of Hormuz and docked at Kandla Port on April 14. The vessel carried 20,400 metric tonnes of LPG, expected to further strengthen domestic supply.
This marks the first such transit following a temporary 14-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which has helped ease tensions and reopen critical maritime routes.
Officials highlighted that nearly 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports originate from the Gulf region, underlining the importance of maintaining secure shipping lanes.
Efforts are also underway to bring back 15 Indian-flagged vessels currently stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, with close coordination between the Ministry of External Affairs and maritime authorities.
Diversified Energy Strategy
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that India continues to diversify its energy sourcing strategy to safeguard the needs of its 1.4 billion population.
“We are in discussions with multiple countries and closely monitoring developments in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure energy security and the safe return of our vessels,” he said.
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