New Delhi — Former Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sanjay Sudhir has commended government actions as India weathers a sharp LPG disruption triggered by the West Asia conflict, now in its second month. Speaking to ANI, he called the overall geopolitical outlook ‘‘uncertainty,’’ warning that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has put ‘‘one-sixth of humanity’’ at a critical economic juncture.
Sudhir said the entire hydrocarbon sector has been affected but that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has suffered the most severe disruption. LPG supplies cooking fuel to more than 340 million Indian households, he noted, making it a matter of national survival rather than merely an industry concern. India imports about 62% of its LPG, and roughly 90% of those imports originate in Gulf countries currently caught up in or impacted by the conflict.
“If I were to use one word, that’s uncertainty,” he told ANI, adding that the situation today is as uncertain as during the opening week of the conflict that began on February 28.
Sudhir credited several government measures with preventing a far worse outcome. Authorities invoked the LPG Control Act, directed domestic refineries to maximize LPG output, prioritized domestic cooking gas over industrial consumption, and engaged in proactive diplomacy to secure additional supplies. He said these steps have helped mitigate the immediate crisis.
He also laid out India’s broader energy import profile: crude oil is about 89% import-dependent (with 45% of that from the Gulf), LPG imports account for 62% (90% from the Gulf), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shows roughly 50% import reliance with more than 60% coming from Gulf sources, particularly Qatar.
Two developments compound the supply stress, Sudhir warned: the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility. Qatar has reported roughly 17% damage at the site and has declared force majeure, a disruption that could take over five years to fully repair and that has immediate implications for Indian LNG supplies. While long-term LNG markets could see a surplus by 2030, Sudhir said early 2026 is marked by acute disruption.
To reduce exposure to volatile sources, India is diversifying suppliers. Sudhir pointed to investments and LNG deals with Mozambique and said New Delhi has signed four long-term LNG contracts with the UAE, with supplies possibly starting by year-end and additional agreements expected by late 2026.
Separately, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued an advisory acknowledging the Strait of Hormuz disruption and assuring citizens that necessary measures are in place to maintain supplies. The ministry asked the public to avoid panic buying of petrol and diesel and to refrain from unnecessary advance bookings of LPG cylinders to prevent artificial shortages.
