India has intensified efforts to bring back stranded Indian-flagged vessels from the Persian Gulf following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire by the US, Israel and Iran, with authorities coordinating across ministries and global stakeholders to restore shipping movement.
“We are in coordination with MEA and our missions as well as owners of ships. We are trying our level best to bring our ships as early as possible as well as sending vessels again to bring the cargo from that region,” said Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary at the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways.
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The development comes amid easing tensions in West Asia, raising expectations of normalisation in global shipping routes. India is also engaging diplomatically to ensure uninterrupted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade corridor.
“We expect unimpeded global flow of commerce will prevail through the strait of Hormuz (after the ceasefire),” said Randhir Jaiswal, additional secretary at the ministry of external affairs.
The government, meanwhile, moved to reassure on domestic energy security, stating that coal supplies remain adequate despite rising summer demand.
Energy Fortification
Coal inventories at thermal power plants stood at around 55 million tonne as of Tuesday, sufficient for 24 days of uninterrupted power generation based on average consumption over the past seven days.
“Coal stock at the power plants is around 55 million tonne as of yesterday (Tuesday), adequate for 24 days of uninterrupted power generation… So we have absolutely no deficit at the power generation side,” said coal joint secretary Sanjeev Kumar Kassi.
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Officials said that the stock position does not indicate any immediate risk, as supplies are continuously replenished. “It will last 24-odd days only when coal supply is totally stopped,” Kassi said, adding that domestic production is aligned with consumption.
Total coal availability across the country, including mines, power plants, ports and transit, is estimated at nearly 220 million tonne. “So in all, we have almost 220 million tonne of coal available in the country,” he said.
The government has also directed coal companies to step up supply through higher allocations to states and increased e-auction frequency. Monthly auctions have risen to about 30 compared to the usual 15–20, aimed at improving access for smaller consumers. Coal India Ltd and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd have absorbed higher input costs without raising coal prices, while reserve prices in e-auctions have been reduced to maintain affordability.
In a parallel move to support industry, the government has expanded commercial LPG supplies to a wider set of sectors affected by earlier disruptions.
Industrial Continuity
“Industrial units… shall receive 70 per cent of the units’ pre-March 2026 bulk non-domestic LPG consumption level subject to a overall sectoral limit of 0.2 TMT per day (200 tonne per day),” oil secretary Neeraj Mittal said in a communication to state governments.
The directive prioritises sectors where LPG is essential for specialised processes that cannot be substituted by natural gas, ensuring continuity in industrial operations while maintaining overall supply balance.
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