“How India’s energy security demands rapid diversification, green transition”, First Post, April 05, 2026
“In March 2026, the global energy landscape has shifted from “volatile” to “critical”. As a direct military conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US effectively shutters the Strait of Hormuz, India finds itself at a crossroads. While the battlefield is thousands of miles away, the shockwaves are being felt in the nation also. This crisis is not just a temporary supply glitch; it is a loud signal that India’s old energy playbooks are obsolete.
The ‘Hormuz Risk’: A Chokehold on Growth
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most vital energy artery. For India, it is a vulnerability. Roughly 46 per cent of India’s crude oil and a staggering 90 per cent of its LPG (cooking gas) transit through this 21-mile-wide passage. Since the IRGC declared the strait “effectively closed” on March 2, 2026, insurance premiums have made shipping nearly impossible. Even though India has managed to reroute 70 per cent of its imports via non-Hormuz paths, the sheer logistics of longer routes are driving costs to record highs. The crisis has already hit home.
In March 2026, a severe LPG shortage began to ripple through India’s food sector, hitting everything from essential social programmes to private businesses. School midday meal initiatives struggled to maintain operations, while commercial restaurants—typically accustomed to a 48-to-72-hour fuel reserve—are being forced to pivot to wood-fired cooking and stripped-down menus. This shift is hitting bottom lines hard as businesses face significant public backlash and lost revenue. To combat this, the government had banned PNG users from holding LPG connections to prioritise domestic kitchens……”
Read full article at firstpost.com
