- Why in news
- The second meeting of the Raksha Mantri-led Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) on West Asia was held in New Delhi on April 2, 2026. It reviewed steps to limit the impact of the West Asia conflict on India.
- What it is
- The Informal Group of Ministers on West Asia is a ministerial panel set up to monitor the evolving West Asia situation and suggest proactive measures to minimise its impact on India. It is chaired by the Defence Minister and draws in ministers of finance, petroleum, external affairs, power, fertilizers, food and others. It works with seven Empowered Groups of Secretaries that brief it on steps being taken.
- Chair and purpose
- The IGoM is chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It monitors West Asia developments and suggests measures to keep the impact on India minimal.
- Supporting machinery
- Seven Empowered Groups of Secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken.
- Customs relief
- Full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products was notified, valid till June 30, 2026.
- Inter-ministerial group
- The PM said an inter-ministerial group meets daily to assess import and export difficulties and work out solutions.
- Strait of Hormuz
- India imports large quantities of crude oil, gas and fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz, and shipping there has become highly challenging.
- Indians in the Gulf
- Nearly ten million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries.
- Strategic petroleum reserve
- India has a strategic petroleum reserve of over 5.3 million metric tonnes, to be expanded to over 6.5 million metric tonnes.
- India's position
- India opposes attacks on civilians, energy and transport infrastructure, and says dialogue and diplomacy are the only solution.
- Cause of supply stress
- The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the reason for the steps on petroleum products and LPG.
- Legal powers against hoarding
- States can act against hoarding and black marketing under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the LPG Control Order, 2000.
- Seafarers in the Gulf
- 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf, monitored by DG Shipping.
- Return of Indians
- Over 3,50,000 passengers have returned to India from the region since 28 February.
- LPG exposure
- India imports about 60% of its LPG consumption, and about 90% of these imports pass through Hormuz.
- Natural Gas Control Order
- Issued on 9 March 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act to manage gas supply and protect priority sectors. Domestic PNG and CNG get full supply.
- LPG demand management
- The minimum gap between LPG bookings was raised from 21 to 25 days. Domestic LPG output rose about 25% after refineries were told to maximise LPG.
- Seafarers and diaspora
- 28 Indian-flagged vessels are in the Persian Gulf region. About one crore Indians live in GCC countries.
- Who met
- The Cabinet Committee on Security met under the Prime Minister's chairmanship to review the West Asia situation.
- Trigger
- The CCS was briefed on air strikes in Iran on 28 February and the escalation that followed, including attacks in Gulf countries.
- Main concern
- The Committee expressed serious concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the region.
- Direction given
- All concerned departments were told to take necessary and feasible measures to assist affected Indian nationals.
- India's stance
- The CCS stressed early cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
Don’t confuse with IGoM vs GoM: An informal group of ministers is set up by executive decision for coordination and has no statutory or constitutional status. Empowered Groups of Secretaries are bureaucratic bodies that brief it.
Don’t confuse with Strait of Hormuz vs Bab-el-Mandeb: Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Bab-el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Don’t confuse with PNG vs LPG: PNG is piped natural gas supplied through city gas distribution networks. LPG is bottled liquefied petroleum gas.
Don’t confuse with PNG/CNG vs LPG: PNG and CNG are natural gas, mainly methane. LPG is propane and butane from refining and gas processing.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Coordinated ministerial oversight lets India respond quickly to energy, trade and price shocks from a distant conflict.
- Covering fuel, fertilizer, food and finance in one forum reflects India's exposure to West Asia through energy imports and trade.
- Gulf supplies much of India's crude oil and gas, so the conflict directly affects energy security.
- Nearly ten million Indians in the Gulf make evacuation, remittances and welfare a core concern.
- Shows how a chokepoint closure threatens India's energy security, given its import dependence.
- Coordinates Centre and States on supply, enforcement and citizen safety.
- Shows India's exposure to a single chokepoint for crude, LNG and LPG.
- Diversified crude buying across about 40 countries cushions supply shocks.
- Tests crisis coordination across ministries and States, including diaspora protection.
- Shows the government treating the West Asia crisis as a security and economic issue, not only a diplomatic one.
- Large Indian diaspora in the Gulf makes evacuation and welfare of nationals a central concern.
Problems
- Supply panic, hoarding and black marketing, such as in LPG, can create shortages even when stocks are adequate.
- Misinformation on social media can fuel panic and complicate management.
- Disrupted shipping through Hormuz threatens oil, LPG and fertilizer supplies and raises prices.
- Dependence on imports for LPG and fertilizers exposes households and farmers to shocks.
- LPG supply remains a concern, with panic buying and hoarding.
- States differ in implementation: 17 States/UTs had yet to issue kerosene allocation orders.
- Heavy LPG and LNG dependence on Hormuz cannot be shifted quickly.
- Rationing gas hurts fertiliser and industry output, and price rises hurt households.
- Panic buying and hoarding strain distribution; seafarers and about one crore Gulf Indians face risk.
- Safety of Indian expatriates and disruption to travellers and students in the region.
- Wider effects on regional security and on economic and commercial activity.
Way forward
- Build medium to long-term preparedness, including diversified energy sources and alternatives like PNG.
- Enforce action against hoarding and communicate through official sources.
- Diversify energy and fertilizer sources and expand strategic reserves.
- Speed up renewables, ethanol blending and electric mobility while pursuing diplomacy for safe passage.
- Speed up PNG and city gas network expansion by clearing approvals quickly.
- Build supply diversification and reserves to cut exposure to a single chokepoint.
- Build strategic reserves of crude, LPG and gas, and add import routes.
- Raise domestic output and speed up the shift to alternative fuels.
- Keep Gulf diplomacy active and prepare evacuation and shipping-safety plans.
- Coordinate departments for assistance to affected Indian nationals.
- Press for de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy.
Put in your answer
LPG supply measures: Domestic LPG output was raised to meet consumption, with raids against hoarding and black marketing. Over 80% of pre-crisis commercial LPG supply was maintained.
Renewable capacity: Renewable capacity has crossed 250 GW, about half of installed capacity.
Demand and supply rationalisation: The LPG booking interval was raised from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas.
Diaspora in GCC: About one crore Indians live in GCC countries, making their safety central to India's policy.
LPG subsidy support: Government approved ₹30,000 crore compensation to oil marketing companies for LPG under-recoveries.
Government's response: The CCS reviewed difficulties of Indian travellers and students and the implications for regional security and economic activity.
- 2026Mains GS3 · Q11Explain challenges to India's energy security and suggest measures ensuring sustainability.
- 2017Mains GS2 · Q19Analyse India's energy policy cooperation with West Asian countries.
- 2025Mains GS2 · Q19How to integrate energy security with India's foreign policy and Middle East influence.
- 2018Mains GS2 · Q20Effects of US-Iran nuclear pact on India's interests and response
- 2026Prelims Q30Which countries' ships must cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach the Indian Ocean?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.India imports about 60% of its LPG requirements.
- 2.India's strategic petroleum reserve is now over 5.3 million metric tonnes, and the stated plan is to expand it to over 10 million metric tonnes.
- 3.The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Oman.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 9
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.India imports about 60% of its LPG requirements.
True. The PM said India imports 60% of its LPG needs.
2.The reserves maintained by oil companies are counted within India's strategic petroleum reserve figure cited by the PM.
False. The PM said the oil companies' reserves are separate.
3.The Strait of Hormuz is a route through which India imports crude oil, gas and fertilizers.
True. India imports oil, gas and fertilizers via Hormuz.
4.The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Oman.
True. Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
5.About 70 percent of India's crude imports now come through routes outside the Strait of Hormuz.
True. The share rose from about 55% to about 70%.
6.India imports about 90 percent of its LPG consumption, most of it through the Strait of Hormuz.
False. India imports about 60% of its LPG consumption; about 90% of those imports come through Hormuz.
7.The Natural Gas Control Order of March 2026 was issued under the Essential Commodities Act.
True. It was issued on 9 March 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act.
8.The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
True. Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
9.The minimum gap between domestic LPG bookings was raised from 21 days to 25 days as a temporary measure.
True. The gap rose from 21 to 25 days.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
In the wake of the West Asia conflict, India's energy and trade supply lines through the Strait of Hormuz have come under strain, and the government has set up an inter-ministerial group to monitor the situation. Examine the impact of such conflicts on India's energy and economic security and discuss the steps India has taken to cope with them.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.