India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Qatar surged to an eight-month high in October, marking a significant recovery after seven months of reduced supplies due to the West Asia conflict. According to vessel tracking data, Qatar delivered 0.44 million tonnes (mt) of LNG to India by October 25, a nearly 370% increase from September’s volumes. This sharp rise placed Qatar as the second-largest LNG supplier to India, behind the US, which supplied 0.56 mt during the same period.
The disruption in LNG supplies through the Strait of Hormuz had severely impacted India’s imports from Qatar, with volumes averaging just 0.07 mt per month from March to September, far below the 2025 monthly average of 0.95 mt. However, Qatar has adopted aggressive tactics to navigate the strait, including switching off tankers’ transponders to avoid detection and utilizing ship-to-ship (STS) transfers to move LNG beyond the strait. These measures have allowed Qatar to capitalize on windows of opportunity based on maritime security assessments.
India’s total LNG imports in the first 25 days of October reached 2.51 mt, up 12.2% from September and 9.8% year-on-year. The US, UAE, Oman, and Nigeria were the other top suppliers, with the US reclaiming the top spot after losing it to Oman in September. Despite elevated prices due to the West Asia crisis, India’s robust demand from sectors like city gas distribution, fertilizers, power, and ceramics has driven continued imports.
Analysts note that a sustained recovery in Qatari LNG supplies could ease the pressure on India to source replacement cargoes from other suppliers. Sonal Ranjan, LNG and Natural Gas Analyst at Kpler, highlighted that Qatari LNG deliveries to India are at their highest monthly level since the conflict began, which could help stabilize supply chains ahead of the northern hemisphere winter when global demand typically jumps.