LPG shortage to end soon? Tanker Shivalik arrives at Gujarat's Mundra Port after crossing Strait of Hormuz—watch video

The LPG tanker Shivalik, after passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reached Mundra Port in Gujarat on Monday amid cooking gas shortages and supply restrictions in the country triggered by the Middle East conflict.

Iranian authorities permitted two Indian-flagged ships transporting liquefied petroleum gas to transit the strategic waterway. Along with Shivalik, the other vessel cleared for passage was Nanda Devi.

Earlier, Shipping Ministry Special Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha said on Saturday that the vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, were expected to arrive on 16 March and 17 March, respectively.

The secretary said that all Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf region were safe and that no untoward incidents involving them had been reported in the past 24 hours. As per ANI, he noted, “There were 24 Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf, situated to the west of the Strait of Hormuz. Among these, two vessels--the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi, Indian-flagged vessels, are both LPG carriers.”

He added that both ships had safely crossed the strategic waterway late the previous night or early in the morning and were now heading towards India. According to him, the vessels were transporting about 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG. “Their ports of arrival will be Mundra and Kandla, with expected arrival dates of 16 March and 17 March, respectively,” he mentioned.

The secretary further stated that, following their transit, 22 Indian-flagged vessels remained in the Persian Gulf, with a combined crew strength of 611 seafarers.

Jaishankar says India finds it better to 'reason and coordinate' with Tehran

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised that direct engagement with Tehran was the most effective way to restore maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz, as India works to safeguard its energy security.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the Union Minister said that New Delhi was in active discussions with Iran to help reopen the crucial shipping route, which accounts for nearly 20% of global oil trade.

He added that the talks were already showing positive outcomes, indicating that India believed it was more productive to “reason and coordinate” with Tehran rather than adopt a policy of disengagement.

"Certainly, from India's perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution than we don't. While this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that," Jaishankar stated.

Meanwhile, India has temporarily brought back kerosene for domestic use and allowed hotels and restaurants to switch to coal and other alternative fuels, as the intensifying West Asia crisis disrupts the country’s energy supply chains, according to PTI.

The decision follows the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Authorities have directed environmental regulators to grant one-month permission for the use of biomass, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellets and coal as substitute energy sources for hospitality establishments.

Moreover, oil marketing companies have been instructed to earmark 20% of the average monthly commercial LPG requirement to ensure that essential businesses continue to receive fuel supplies.