The US–Iran conflict and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz expose the fragility of India's energy security. Examine, and suggest a diversification strategy.

The seven-month US–Iran war has closed the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman. It has also cut off Iranian ports. In March 2026, Brent crude rose by about 65%, its sharpest monthly jump ever [1]. India's fuel supply depends heavily on this one route, and the crisis has shown how fragile its energy security is.

How the crisis exposes India's weak points

• Import dependence: India imports about 60% of the LPG it consumes, and about 90% of those imports came through Hormuz [2].
• Concentrated route: Before the war, only about 55% of crude imports came by routes outside Hormuz [2]. Close to half passed through one chokepoint.
• Thin emergency stock: The Strategic Petroleum Reserves hold 5.33 MMT at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur. That covers only about 9.5 days of crude needs [3]. The blockade has lasted for months.
• Economic spillover: Global supply fell by 10.1 mb/d in March [1]. This means a higher import bill, a wider current account deficit, a weaker rupee and more pressure on the LPG subsidy.

Where India held up

• About 70% of crude now comes by routes outside Hormuz, drawn from 41+ suppliers [2].
• The LPG Control Order raised domestic LPG output by 28% [2].
• A one-year deal to import about 2.2 MTPA of US LPG covers roughly 10% of LPG imports [5].

These steps were a reaction to the crisis rather than planned in advance. They show that India can adapt, but its supply was not built to withstand a shock like this.

How India can diversify

• Suppliers: Sign long-term contracts in the Americas, Africa and Russia, with the highest priority on LPG, where India is most exposed.
• Routes: Build up Chabahar–INSTC and pipeline or port options that bypass the chokepoint.
• Buffers: Complete the Phase-II SPRs at Chandikhol and Padur (6.5 MMT, PPP) quickly [4], and extend them to Rajkot and Bikaner.
• Energy mix: Expand PNG, CBG and solar cooking, green hydrogen and EV adoption to cut oil demand.
• Diplomacy: Support a step-by-step reopening of Hormuz while keeping strategic autonomy.

The Hormuz shock shows that importing from many countries is not enough if most of the oil still passes through one route. India can reduce this risk by combining varied suppliers, alternative routes, larger reserves and faster clean-energy adoption. That would support the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy).