India's Energy Security Threatened by West Asian Tensions

India's energy security is at risk due to growing tensions in West Asia, experts warn. The country needs a multi-route strategy for its energy imports as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.

The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of global energy supplies, has been disrupted since February amid the Iran-Israel-US conflict. India's dependence on imported oil and gas is high at 42% in 2024-25, with crude oil import dependence at 89% and natural gas at 49%. The country imports around 1.8 billion barrels of crude oil, with 48% coming from Gulf countries.

Experts say India needs to diversify its suppliers and build multiple routes for energy supplies. Cauvery Ganapathy, a climate and energy fellow at the Observer Research Foundation Middle East, suggests rerouting Gulf-origin crude through the Mediterranean Sea or tapping cargoes already at sea through spot trading. However, she cautions that this approach has limitations in terms of available volumes and competition.

Mannat Jaspal, climate and energy director at the ORF ME, emphasizes the need to expand strategic buffers through Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) and commercial inventories. India's SPR capacity needs to be increased, and storage infrastructure must be designed to handle different varieties of crude.