Discuss how geopolitical conflicts in West Asia have exposed vulnerabilities in global critical-resource supply chains, with reference to helium.

Q. Discuss how geopolitical conflicts in West Asia have exposed vulnerabilities in global critical-resource supply chains, with reference to helium. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Helium — an irreplaceable coolant for semiconductor fabrication and MRI scanners — is recovered only as a by-product of natural gas processing [4]. Its disruption during the 2026 West Asia conflict shows how narrow, conflict-exposed supply chains convert a regional war into a global industrial shock.

Conflict at the maritime chokepoint - The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20 million barrels/day of oil and roughly one-fifth of global LNG trade, largely Qatari [2] — the same gas stream from which helium is extracted. - Israeli–US strikes on Iran from February 2026 nearly halted shipping through the strait, hitting Qatari supply [1]. - Refining by-products — sulphur, helium, naphtha — feeding semiconductors, solar panels and fertilizers ran short; nearly 30% of global sulphur transited the strait before the war [1].

Structural vulnerabilities exposed - Producer concentration: helium capacity rests with the United States, Qatar, Algeria, Russia and Canada [4] — there is no swing supplier to absorb a shock. - By-product dependence: helium output is hostage to gas-field economics and cannot be scaled independently [4]. - Non-substitutability: wafer cooling and cryogenics have no alternative gas, so demand cannot adjust [1].

Cascading resource nationalism - China, importing over 85% of its helium, imposed a blanket temporary export ban via MOFCOM–Customs Announcement No. 29 (10 July 2026) [3]. - States are simultaneously building strategic reserves and courting alternative suppliers [1] — hoarding that spreads scarcity faster than the conflict itself.

Implications for India - Import-dependence in gas and industrial gases directly exposes India's semiconductor ambitions. - The National Critical Mineral Mission (2025) — stockpiling, overseas asset acquisition and recycling [5] — offers a template extendable to strategic industrial gases.

Resource security is now determined as much by chokepoints and export policy as by geology. Diversified sourcing, strategic reserves, helium recycling and plurilateral supply-chain partnerships can convert this shock into durable resilience, advancing SDG-9 and India's self-reliance goals.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. Middle East war: After oil and gas, concerns grow over minerals crunch — UN News (2026) — Hormuz shipping halt, helium/sulphur/naphtha shortages, 30% sulphur transit, strategic reserves response 2. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important oil transit chokepoint — U.S. Energy Information Administration — 20 million b/d oil and one-fifth of global LNG trade through the strait 3. China: Temporary export ban on helium (MOFCOM & GAC Announcement No. 29 of 2026) — Global Trade Alert — 10 July 2026 blanket ban; China's >85% import dependence 4. Helium Statistics and Information, Mineral Commodity Summaries — U.S. Geological Survey — helium as natural-gas by-product; producer concentration across US, Qatar, Algeria, Russia, Canada 5. Cabinet approves National Critical Mineral Mission — Press Information Bureau (2025) — stockpiling, overseas asset acquisition and recycling as India's resource-security template