Inter-Ministerial Briefing on West Asia Crisis Impacts

The Government of India conducted a comprehensive inter-ministerial briefing on June 11, 2026, addressing the multifaceted impacts of the evolving West Asia situation on critical sectors including maritime safety, energy security, and fertilizer availability.

Maritime Safety and Crew Welfare

Three significant maritime incidents were reported involving Indian crew members. On June 8, 2026, a fire onboard Palau-flagged vessel MT Marivex near the Omani coast resulted in the safe rescue of all 24 Indian crew members by Omani Air Force, with repatriation expected shortly. On June 10, 2026, an attack on Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello resulted in 3 fatalities among the 24 Indian crew members (total 28 crew including 2 Pakistani, 1 Russian, and 1 Ukrainian). The remaining 25 crew including 21 Indians were safely evacuated. The Seaman Welfare Fund Society (SWFS) has been directed to pay ₹10 lakh to each deceased crew member's family. On June 11, 2026, Guinea-Bissau flagged vessel MT Jalveer was involved in a security incident near Shinas Port, Oman, with all 20 Indian crew reported safe. The Directorate General of Shipping has facilitated repatriation of 3,537 Indian seafarers so far, including 31 in the last 72 hours, and handled 12,331 calls and 27,515 emails through its control room.

Fertilizer Security and Stock Position

India's fertilizer position remains robust with overall stocks comfortable at 195.79 LMT (51% of reassessed Kharif 2026 requirement of 383.9 LMT), significantly higher than the usual 33% level. Indian farmers have already purchased 94.60 LMT chemical fertilizers (25% of total requirement) till June 7, 2026. Post-crisis, 153.79 LMT fertilizers have been added to availability through domestic production (118.15 LMT) and imports (35.64 LMT), with specific contributions including 71.41 LMT domestic urea production, 20.13 LMT imported urea, 10.04 LMT domestic DAP production, and 3.13 LMT imported DAP. India has secured over 50 LMT urea and P&K fertilizers during the crisis through coordination with 28 missions abroad, sourcing from Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Georgia, Nigeria, Russia, Finland, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, Netherlands for urea, and Russia, Morocco, Egypt, USA, Jordan, South Korea, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia for DAP/NPKs. An additional 25 LMT imported urea, DAP and NPKs are expected in June, with a global tender for 17 LMT urea underway. Organic manure availability stands at 22.80 LMT, with farmers purchasing 11.38 LMT post-crisis compared to 3.24 LMT去年同期, showing increased adoption from Punjab (2.88 LMT), UP (2.76 LMT), Haryana (1.37 LMT), MP (1.27 LMT), Gujarat (0.98 LMT), and Maharashtra (0.84 LMT). The Department of Fertilizers is paying all subsidy bills weekly with adequate budget, and 12 EGoS meetings have addressed availability challenges.

Energy Supply and Fuel Management

All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories and maintained petrol/diesel stocks. Domestic LPG production has been increased to support consumption. An inter-ministerial Joint Working Group ensures petrochemical feedstock supply, with 1,120 MT/day of C3-C4 molecules allocated from LPG pool to pharma, chemical, and paint sectors. Since June 1, 2026, refineries have sold 4,180 MT of C3-C4 molecules and 3,460 MT of Butyl Acrylate to these industries. All retail outlets operate normally despite abnormal crude price increases, with the government reducing excise duty on petrol/diesel by ₹10/litre. The Ministry of Finance extended excise duty exemption to higher ethanol blends (E22, E25, E27, E30) on June 10, 2026, following BIS standards issuance in May 2026, to avoid double taxation. The Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme has achieved 20% blending in ESY 2025-26, resulting in ₹1.62 lakh crore payments to farmers, ₹1.91 lakh crore forex savings, 931 lakh MT CO₂ reduction, and 310 lakh MT crude oil substitution since ESY 2014-15.

Natural Gas and PNG Expansion

Gas supply prioritization includes 100% to D-PNG and CNG-Transport, 98% to operating urea plants, and 80% to other industrial/commercial sectors. CGD entities must prioritize PNG connections for commercial establishments. The Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution Order, 2026 notified under Essential Commodities Act provides streamlined pipeline expansion framework. PNGRB has directed CGD entities to expedite D-PNG connections, extending National PNG Drive 2.0 till June 30, 2026. Since March 2026, 9.42 lakh PNG connections have been gasified with infrastructure for 3.12 lakh more created, and 9.44 lakh new customers registered. A model draft State CBG Policy has been developed to encourage cleaner energy transition.

LPG Supply and Distribution

Domestic LPG supply is prioritized with no dry-outs reported. Online bookings reached 99% industry-wide, with Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) deliveries at 96% to prevent diversion. In the last 3 days, 1.49 crore cylinders were delivered against 1.40 crore bookings. Commercial LPG allocation reduced to 70% of pre-crisis level (including 10% reform-based), with 22,339 MT sold plus 736 MT Auto LPG by PSU OMCs. Approximately 1.91 lakh 5-kg FTL cylinders sold, including over 10,000 through 566 camps, to support migrant labor and students.

Coordination and Enforcement

States/UTs are empowered under Essential Commodities Act and LPG Control Order to monitor supply and act against hoarding/black marketing. Government has requested Chief Secretaries to monitor HSD/MS offtake patterns, intensify inspections, and enforce against unauthorized procurement. In the last 3 days, enforcement actions included 2 FIRs registered, 1 arrest, and 225 cylinders seized for LPG violations; in Manipur, 3,680 liters petrol seized, 1 FIR registered, and 2 arrests. PSU OMCs imposed penalties on 19 LPG distributorships and 14 retail outlets, with 461 outlets suspended for market discipline violations.

Public Advisory

Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchasing of petrol, diesel, and LPG bookings, use alternate fuels like PNG or electric cooktops, and conserve energy. Bulk consumers should procure diesel from authorized channels. The government emphasizes reliance on official information sources amid rumors.