India will not face a shortage of fuels despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has assured. Addressing concerns related to the Israel-Iran conflict and rising geopolitical risks following U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Puri emphasized that India has diversified its energy supply sources and reduced its dependence on routes vulnerable to disruption.
He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has strategically ensured that a large portion of its oil imports no longer pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route near Iran. This chokepoint sees the daily movement of more than 20 million barrels of oil from major producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE. Iran has threatened to block this route if the United States intervenes in its conflict with Israel, raising global concerns over oil supply disruptions and price volatility.
The minister explained that Indian oil marketing companies including Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum have sufficient crude oil reserves for several weeks and continue to receive supplies from multiple international routes. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to taking all necessary measures to ensure stable fuel availability for Indian consumers.
India imports about 85 percent of its crude oil needs. Any spike in global oil prices not only increases the national oil import bill but also contributes to domestic inflation and currency depreciation. However, India has taken proactive steps to mitigate such risks. The country has significantly boosted crude imports from non-Middle Eastern sources like Russia and the United States and has developed strong energy resilience through the establishment of strategic petroleum reserves.
India currently operates 23 modern refineries with a total capacity of 257 million metric tonnes per annum. These facilities play a key role in maintaining the domestic supply of petroleum products. The government has also built strategic crude oil storage facilities across key coastal locations. The Pudur reserve holds 2.25 million metric tonnes (MMT) of crude oil, Visakhapatnam has 1.33 MMT, and Mangalore holds 1.5 MMT. An additional reserve is under construction in Chandikhol to further strengthen India’s energy preparedness.
Minister Puri emphasized that these strategic reserves not only help ensure energy security during emergencies but also provide flexibility to cushion the impact of global price surges. He reiterated that India is fully prepared to face any future disruptions and that fuel availability for the public will remain uninterrupted.
