New Delhi

India’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply chain remains steady despite ongoing tensions in West Asia, with an Indian tanker successfully crossing the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian cargo arriving at the New Mangalore Port.

According to an official statement, the Indian-flagged LPG carrier “Green Sanvi” has safely navigated the sensitive waterway, transporting around 46,650 tonnes of cooking gas along with a crew of 25. This marks the seventh Indian LPG vessel to cross the strait since hostilities escalated in the region.

In a separate development, another LPG shipment from Iran has reached Mangalore and is currently being unloaded. The cargo, carried by the vessel “Sea Bird,” includes approximately 44,000 tonnes of LPG. This is believed to be among the first imports of Iranian energy into India in nearly seven years.

The import follows a temporary easing of sanctions by the United States, aimed at stabilising global energy markets amid rising prices triggered by the regional conflict.

Despite these successful transits, several Indian vessels remain stranded. Out of the 28 Indian-flagged ships present in the region when tensions escalated, 17 are still positioned on the western side of the strait, with authorities closely monitoring their status.

Earlier this week, two LPG carriers—BW TYR and BW ELM—delivered nearly 94,000 tonnes of LPG to Indian ports. Prior to that, four other tankers, including Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, had also reached Indian shores with substantial cargo.

India depends heavily on imports to meet its cooking gas demand, sourcing about 60 per cent of its LPG needs from abroad, with the majority coming from Gulf nations. The continued arrival of shipments is expected to ease supply concerns amid one of the most challenging periods for fuel availability in recent years.

Authorities confirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no untoward incidents involving Indian vessels have been reported in the past 24 hours. Around 460 Indian crew members remain on ships in the western Gulf region.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said it is maintaining close coordination with shipping operators and Indian missions abroad to ensure crew safety and uninterrupted maritime operations.

A round-the-clock control room set up by the Directorate General of Shipping has been actively responding to queries and facilitating assistance. So far, over 1,300 Indian seafarers have been repatriated, including nearly 200 in the last 24 hours.

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Officials added that port operations across India remain smooth, with no congestion reported and normal functioning maintained at major coastal facilities.