Updated 24 March 2026 at 14:32 IST
'Supply of Petrol, Diesel, Gas Affected' by West Asia Crisis: PM Modi in Parliament
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Parliament on Tuesday that the escalating conflict in West Asia has plunged the global economy into a "serious energy crisis," but asserted that India has secured enough reserves to shield domestic consumers from the worst of the shock.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that India is navigating a "serious global energy crisis" triggered by the three-week-old war in West Asia. However, he asserted that the nation’s economic fundamentals and strategic reserves would prevent a domestic collapse.
He described the conflict, involving Israel, the U.S., and Iran, as an evolving threat to the "backbone of the economy."
"It has been more than 3 weeks since the war in West Asia started. The war has caused a serious energy crisis in the world. For India, too, this situation is concerning. The war has impacted our trade routes. With this, the routine supply of petrol, diesel, gas, and fertilisers has been affected," Modi said.
Strait of Hormuz
Despite the naval risks due to the blockage of Hormuz, he confirmed that Indian energy logistics remain active. "Since the war began, the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz has become very challenging. Despite this... our LPG tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz to reach India," the Prime Minister informed the House, noting that the government is in "continuous dialogue" with global partners to keep maritime corridors open.
He also outlined a multi-layered defense strategy:
- India currently holds 5.3 million metric tonnes of strategic petroleum reserves, with plans to expand this to 6.5 million tonnes.
- India has expanded its energy import network from 27 countries to 41 countries in recent years to mitigate regional dependency.
- Addressing the industrial power demand as summer approaches, he noted: “India has set a record of producing 1 billion tonnes of coal for the second consecutive year... all our power plants have adequate coal stocks.”
The Prime Minister’s speech followed a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). He confirmed the creation of a specialized Group of Ministers (GoM) and a group of secretaries to manage the short, medium, and long-term impacts of the war.
Published By : Shourya Jha
Published On: 24 March 2026 at 14:20 IST