New Delhi

With global energy markets facing disruption due to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, India is exploring alternative energy sources to strengthen its energy security, official sources said on Saturday.

Countries such as Australia and Canada have offered additional gas supplies as India seeks to diversify imports amid the disruption of shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources said the strait is not the only route for India’s crude imports and emphasised that the country is no longer dependent on a single maritime chokepoint.

They noted that supplies from Russia, West Africa, the Americas and Central Asia, along with non-Gulf routes from West Asia, have diversified India’s sourcing network.

According to the sources, only about 40 per cent of India’s crude imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while nearly 60 per cent come via other routes that remain unaffected.

This diversification has helped ensure that Indian consumers have not faced energy shortages even during global crises such as the pandemic or geopolitical tensions, they said.

India has also recently signed new energy supply arrangements with partners including the United States and the United Arab Emirates to secure stable long-term supplies.

Over the past decade, India has expanded its supplier base from 27 to about 40 countries across six continents as part of its strategic oil diplomacy.

“Our sourcing decisions are governed by national interest,” a senior government official said, adding that India buys crude wherever supplies are available, competitively priced and deliverable.

The comments come after Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, announced a 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to continue purchasing oil from Russia, describing India as an essential partner.

Officials noted that India has complied with all rounds of the price cap rules introduced by the Group of Seven.

India remains in regular contact with major global energy suppliers as well as international organisations such as the International Energy Agency and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Sources added that government decisions in the petroleum sector are guided by three principles — affordability, availability and sustainability.

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They also pointed out that during the same period, petrol prices rose sharply in many countries, including about 55 per cent in Pakistan, 22 per cent in Germany, 19 per cent in France and 11.54 per cent in the United States, while prices in India increased by less than one per cent.