India Moves 4.26 Lakh to Safety, Expands US Defence Cooperation as Hormuz Crisis Jolts Global Energy Security
India on March 25 continued to mount a coordinated political, diplomatic and administrative response to the escalating West Asia war, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stating he was “pleased to meet US Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby” and that they “exchanged views on the current geopolitical scenario,” even as the 18th India–US Defence Policy Group meeting in New Delhi saw both sides “review ongoing initiatives,” identify “priority areas for co-development & co-production of defence equipment,” and “reaffirm commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation through joint exercises, training visits & strategic exchanges,” signalling that defence coordination with Washington is also being sharpened alongside the unfolding conflict.
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| A snapshot from U.S.-India Defense Policy Group; Via: USAmbIndia on X |
U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said he was “proud to join the U.S.-India Defense Policy Group alongside Colby and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh,” adding that “our work today turns leaders’ commitments into concrete progress—deepening our Major Defense Partnership, expanding joint production and information sharing, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific for both our nations,” showing that the defence engagement is aimed at translating high-level political alignment into operational cooperation even as the West Asia conflict reshapes broader security calculations.
Crucially, the government also moved to build political consensus at home, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying after an all-party meeting in Parliament that “opposition parties have assured their support for the government in the measures it takes in response to the West Asia situation,” adding that “all questions and concerns raised by opposition leaders were addressed by the government,” while thanking participants across party lines.
The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and multiple opposition leaders including Mukul Wasnik, Tariq Anwar, John Brittas and Dharmendra Yadav, came amid “escalating tensions in West Asia” that have “disrupted critical maritime corridors and raised concerns about the safety of Indian nationals in Gulf countries,” underscoring the scale of the crisis.
Even as the government projected rare political unity after the all-party meeting, dissenting voices from within the opposition signalled unease over both substance and process, describing the briefing as inadequate and reiterating a demand for a full parliamentary debate to scrutinise the government’s handling of the crisis, arguing that public reassurance cannot rest on statements alone when a conflict is already underway and directly impacting India’s strategic and economic interests.
The exchange also exposed sharp political friction, with criticism over the absence of key opposition figures from the meeting countered by broader concerns about transparency, foreign policy positioning and India’s perceived role in ongoing diplomatic efforts, even as the government maintained that it is actively engaging multiple stakeholders, ensuring energy security and pushing for an early end to the war while stabilising domestic supply chains.
The political outreach follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Parliament that the government has constituted “seven empowered groups” to develop strategies on “fuel, supply chains, fertilisers, and other areas” to mitigate the impact of the Iran–Israel–US conflict, indicating a whole-of-government approach to managing cascading risks across sectors.
At the same time, the government sought to directly counter public anxiety over essential supplies, clarifying that reports of revised LPG refill timelines were false and that “no such changes have been made,” reiterating that booking norms remain “25 days in urban areas, and 45 days in rural areas,” while stressing that “adequate LPG stocks are available in the country, and there is no cause for concern,” and urging citizens not to engage in panic buying.
This assurance was backed by another detailed inter-ministerial briefing that explicitly linked domestic preparedness to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with officials stating that “all refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories,” “sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained,” and “all retail outlets are operating normally across the country,” even as they acknowledged that “panic buying was reported in some areas due to rumours.”
Officials said domestic LPG production has been “increased to support domestic consumption,” priority allocation ensures “100% supply to Domestic PNG and CNG transport,” and broader structural measures—including a new “time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines”—are aimed at strengthening long-term energy security, while enforcement action has intensified with “more than 2,700 raids,” “over 1,700 surprise inspections,” and “more than 650 FIRs” registered to curb hoarding and black marketing.
India’s external response continues in parallel, with “all Indian seafarers currently present in the region” reported safe, “more than 635 Indian seafarers” repatriated so far, and around “4,26,000 passengers” having returned to India since February 28 through over 2,000 flights, while Indian missions maintain 24×7 operations assisting evacuations via multiple corridors, including exits from Iran, transit through Gulf states, and facilitated movement from Israel.