Iran war poses unprecedented challenges for India, PM Modi tells Lok Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the Lok Sabha on key aspects of the ongoing West Asia conflict, laying out India’s position on the evolving situation and highlighting the government’s diplomatic outreach, concerns over civilian safety, and the impact on global energy and trade routes.

Addressing the Lok Sabha amid growing worries over disruptions to critical maritime corridors and the safety of Indian nationals and assets, PM Modi said, “Crisis in West Asia created a negative impact on the world economy, people. West Asia war set unprecedented challenges for India too.”

“India has extensive trade relations with countries at war and affected by the conflict. The region where the conflict is taking place is also an important route for our trade with other countries around the world, particularly for a large portion of our crude oil and gas needs. This region is also important for us for another reason. Nearly 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries. Commercial ships operate there. The number of Indian crew members is also very high. Due to these various reasons, India’s concerns are naturally greater. Therefore, it is essential that a unified voice and consensus reach the world regarding this crisis from the Parliament,” he said.

In his address, the Prime Minister underscored that the situation in West Asia remained a matter of grave concern for India. He reiterated that the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the uninterrupted movement of goods and energy supplies, remained among the government’s top priorities.

“Since this war began, every Indian in the affected countries has been provided assistance. I have spoken over the phone with the heads of state of most West Asian countries for two rounds. All have assured the safety of Indians. During the conflict, some people have lost their lives, and some have been injured…,” he said.

He further said that more than 375,000 Indians have returned safely to India. From Iran, nearly 1,000 Indians have returned safely so far, of whom over 700 are medical students, PM Modi informed the Lok Sabha.

“In view of the situation, CBSE has cancelled Class 10 and 12 exams in the schools in Gulf countries and is taking necessary steps to ensure students’ education continues without disruption… A large quantity of crude oil, gas, fertilisers, and many essential items comes to India through the Strait of Hormuz route. Since the war began, the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz has become very challenging. Despite this, our government has made efforts to ensure that the supply of petrol, diesel, and gas is not severely impacted. As we all know, the country imports 60 per cent of its LPG requirement. Due to uncertainty in supply, the government has prioritised domestic LPG consumers. At the same time, domestic production of LPG is also being increased. Continuous efforts have also been made to ensure that the supply of petrol and diesel across the country remains smooth….” he said.

He also referred to India’s continuing diplomatic engagement on the issue. He said, “I have personally held two rounds of phone conversations with the heads of state of most West Asian countries. All of them have assured the safety and security of Indian citizens. Unfortunately, during this period, some deaths have occurred, and the affected families are being provided with all necessary assistance.”

How is India responding to the energy crisis amid the war?

The Prime Minister said that India is responding to volatility caused by Tehran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that supplied the country 1.3 million barrels of oil and over 85 per cent of its LPG, or liquified petroleum gas, daily needs pre-war.

“India has opposed attacks on energy and transport infrastructure. Attacks on commercial ships and disruptions to international waterways, including trade through the Strait of Hormuz, are unacceptable. India is making continuous diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe movement of Indian vessels even amid the ongoing conflict.

“Our government has tried (to ensure) that petrol, diesel, and gas supply shouldn’t get disrupted (and that) households shouldn’t suffer,” he said. “India buys 60 per cent of its LPG (used by crores of Indians to cook food) needs. We have increased production of LPG in the country.”

“In the last 11 years, we have diversified our energy imports… earlier we used to import from 27 nations. Now we import energy from 41 countries. We have 5,300,000 metric tonnes (in) strategic reserves. Efforts are also on to ensure tankers carrying oil, gas, and fertiliser reach India safely.”

Highlighting the challenge arising from the war with the onset of the summer season in India, PM Modi said, “With rising temperatures, electricity demand is expected to increase. At present, all power plants in the country have adequate coal stocks. India has recorded coal production of 1 billion tonnes for the second consecutive year. All systems, from power generation to supply, are being continuously monitored. The government’s preparations have also been strengthened by renewable energy. Over the past decade, India has taken significant steps in this sector, and today, nearly half of the country’s installed power generation capacity comes from renewable sources. Our total renewable capacity has crossed the milestone of 250 gigawatts…”

The PM Suryagarh Free Electricity Scheme has also significantly helped, said PM Modi. Under the Govardhan Yojana, 200 compressed biogas plants have also become operational in the country. All these efforts are proving very useful for the country. The government has further enhanced its future preparedness by encouraging the production of nuclear energy in the country through the Shanti Act. Just recently, the Small Hydropower Development Scheme was also approved, which will add 1,500 megawatts of new hydropower capacity over the next five years…”

What steps has the government taken to monitor the crisis daily?

PM informed the Lok Sabha that the Government of India has formed an inter-ministerial group that meets daily to assess challenges in imports and exports and work on necessary solutions. “The country’s farmers have ensured that our food reserves are well-stocked, and India has sufficient food grains. Efforts are also being made to ensure proper sowing during the season. The government has made adequate arrangements for fertilisers in recent years to handle emergency situations, and has ensured that the burden of global crises does not fall on farmers,” he said.

He asked people to stay united. “We have faced many such challenges even during the Covid-19 pandemic, and now we must be ready to face them again. We need to confront every challenge with patience, restraint, and calmness, this is our identity, this is our strength.”

PM Modi’s remarks followed a high-level review meeting he chaired on Sunday to assess India’s preparedness across sectors such as petroleum, crude oil, natural gas, power, and fertilisers in view of the conflict. The meeting focused on maintaining uninterrupted supply chains, stable logistics, and efficient distribution of essential resources as geopolitical tensions continued to intensify in West Asia.