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    EYE ON INDIA                                                              MAY 01, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    8

                 Iran War Strains India’s Shipping Lifelines,

             Triggers Multi-Layered Government Response

                   Rising insecurity in key maritime corridors is disrupting trade flows and forcing India to

                                     recalibrate shipping, logistics, and seafarer safety mechanisms

            OUR BUREAU
            New Delhi / Dubai
                  he escalating conflict in West Asia, particu-
                  larly around the strategically critical Strait of
            THormuz, is emerging as a serious stress test
            for India’s shipping ecosystem, exposing vulnerabil-
            ities in trade routes while prompting a coordinated
            government response to safeguard seafarers, stabi-
            lise logistics, and maintain supply chains.
                At the heart of the crisis lies a paradox: while
            Indian-flagged  vessels  have  largely  avoided  direct
            attack, the risks to Indian seafarers—many of whom
            serve  aboard  foreign-flagged  ships—have  surged
            sharply. “In the past 24 hours, there were certain
            incidents  of  firing  on  the  foreign-flag  vessels.  Al-
            though none of the Indian vessels came under fire,
            we  are  worried  for  the  Indian  seafarers on these
            vessels,” said Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal,
            underscoring the indirect exposure India faces de-
            spite limited direct targeting.
                This distinction is crucial. India’s maritime
            workforce is globally dispersed, meaning geopoliti-
            cal instability in distant waters can quickly translate
            into domestic anxiety and operational disruption.
            Mangal confirmed that all Indian crew members on   Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Coal Sanjeev Kumar Kassi, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
            affected vessels—including 21 aboard Euphoria and   Sujata Sharma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports in Shipping & Waterways Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary, Ministry
            one on Epaminondas—are safe, adding, “None of   of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, DG, PIB Mattu J.P. Singh and other officials during an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent
            the Indian seafarers has been injured.”
                Yet, the broader pattern of incidents—includ-   Developments in West Asia at National Media Centre, in New Delhi on Wednesday (ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)
            ing reported firing on vessels such as VLCC Sam-
            nar Herad and bulk carrier Jag Arnav, which were   These “back to town” containers—cargo returned   maintain transparency and responsiveness.
            forced to turn back—highlights the unpredictability   to ports due to uncertainty—peaked at 3,383 on   Evacuation and repatriation efforts have also
            of the region. Even successful passages, like that of   March 8 along India’s western coast.  been significant. The Directorate General of Ship-
            the tanker Desh Garima, which carried 31 Indian   The government’s response has been notably   ping has facilitated the return of over 2,600 Indian
            seafarers through the corridor, are now seen less as   interventionist and coordinated. By March 19, the   seafarers from the Gulf region so far, including doz-
            routine operations and more as calculated risks.  number of stranded containers had dropped to just   ens in recent days. “The safety and security of Indi-
                The implications for India’s trade are immedi-  99—a 97 percent reduction—thanks largely to pol-  an seafarers remains the top priority. We are moni-
            ate and structural. The Hormuz corridor handles a   icy relief measures. “This reduction was made pos-  toring the situation continuously and are committed
            significant share of India’s crude oil and gas imports,   sible by the great cooperation of the ports, which   to extending all possible help,” Mangal said.
            making any disruption a direct threat to energy se-  waived their demurrage and extra rent… providing   Operationally, there are tentative signs of sta-
            curity. Jan Noether, Director General of the Indo   significant relief to exporters,” Mangal said.  bilisation. Of the 14 vessels (13 Indian-flagged and
            German Chamber of Commerce, pointed to the       This approach reflects a broader crisis-manage-  one Indian-owned) in the Persian Gulf region, 10
            wider economic fallout: “Trade has been affected   ment  strategy  combining  real-time  monitoring,  fi-  have already transited safely. Additionally, since
            since both India and Germany depend on supplies   nancial mitigation, and diplomatic coordination. The   late February, multiple LPG and crude carriers have
            through the Strait of Hormuz, including oil and gas,   Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has been   navigated the corridor without incident, suggesting
            which form the basis of energy supplies.”    working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs,   that maritime traffic, while cautious, has not halted.
                He added that the ripple effects are already visi-  Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure   sIn effect, the Iran-linked conflict has evolved
            ble globally: “Prices are up… fuel prices and general   both operational continuity and personnel safety.  into more than a regional security issue—it is now a
            prices of daily consumption have increased,” reflect-  A key pillar of this response is the maritime   test of India’s maritime resilience. While swift gov-
            ing how maritime insecurity translates into inflation-  control room, which has become a central commu-  ernment action has mitigated immediate disruptions,
            ary pressure across economies.               nication hub. Since its activation, it has handled over   the crisis underscores the urgent need for diversifica-
                For India, the crisis initially triggered severe lo-  7,200 calls and around 15,000 emails, including more   tion of trade routes, strengthened maritime security
            gistical bottlenecks. When the conflict began, “ship-  than 150 calls in the last 24 hours alone. This surge   frameworks, and long-term energy supply strategies.
            ping line operations were disrupted, and many con-  illustrates the scale of concern among seafarers and   For now, India’s shipping sector remains
            tainers accumulated at the ports,” Mangal noted.   their families, as well as the government’s attempt to   afloat—but navigating increasingly turbulent waters.

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