The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas held a press conference on Friday, 10 April, to address LPG stock concerns and the repatriation of Indian seafarers, while also voicing concern over casualties in Lebanon.
Speaking of casualties in Lebanon, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Union government was “deeply concerned” about the civilian deaths in the country.
“As a troop contributing country to the UNIFIL that is invested in Lebanon’s peace and security, the direction of events is very disturbing. India has always emphasised protecting civilians as its foremost priority. Observing international law and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is essential,” Randhir Jaiswal said.
The MEA spokesperson also said that the Indian embassy in Lebanon remains in close touch with the Indian community for its “safety and security.”
On developments in West Asia
The MEA spokesperson said that despite the armistice, India is closely following developments in West Asia and reaching out to countries in the Gulf region.
“At the direction of the Prime Minister, our ministers are visiting Gulf countries to strengthen our energy security. The External Affairs Minister is presently visiting Mauritius, from where he will be travelling to the UAE on 11th and 12th April, 2026. He will hold discussions with leaders in the UAE to foster stronger India-UAE ties,” Jaiswal said.
On the safe return of Indian seafarers
Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mukesh Mangal said, “All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and there has been no incident involving an Indian-flagged vessel in the past 24 hours...The ministry has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 1,927 Indian seafarers so far, including 124 in the last 24 hours. The ministry continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations”
Speaking about LPG stock in India amid uncertainties, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, said there is no dryout and the supply of domestic LPG cylinders remains normal.
“Online bookings have reached approximately 98 per cent. Furthermore, 92 per cent of our deliveries are now being facilitated through OTP verification. As you know, commercial LPG supplies have been restored to 70 per cent of their capacity; within this category, priority has been accorded to hospitals, educational institutions, hotels, dhabas, labour camps, labour-intensive industries, packaging units, the pharmaceutical sector, and migrant labourers...We currently hold sufficient inventories of crude oil,” she said.
