What Happened
- A second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, MV Nanda Devi, reached Kandla port in Gujarat after safely transiting the Strait of Hormuz — the first vessel, MV Shivalik, had arrived at Mundra port on March 15.
- Together, the two ships carried approximately 92,712 tonnes of LPG — roughly equivalent to India's single-day requirement of cooking gas.
- Twenty-two Indian-flagged vessels remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, including 6 LPG carriers, 1 LNG carrier, and 4 crude oil tankers, with 611 Indian seafarers aboard.
- India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the safe passages were not under a blanket arrangement — each ship's transit is individually negotiated with Iranian authorities.
- The government has classified LPG tankers as the highest priority for safe passage negotiations, ahead of crude oil and LNG carriers, given the acute domestic cooking gas shortage.
Static Topic Bridges
The Strait of Hormuz: Geography and Strategic Significance
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. At its narrowest, the strait is approximately 33 kilometres wide. It is the world's single most important oil transit chokepoint.
- In 2024, approximately 20 million barrels per day (mb/d) of petroleum flowed through the strait — about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and more than one-quarter of all seaborne oil trade.
- Approximately one-fifth of global LNG trade also transits Hormuz, primarily from Qatar.
- Only Saudi Arabia and the UAE have crude pipelines that bypass Hormuz, with a combined capacity of 3.5–5.5 mb/d — far below the 20 mb/d normally transiting.
- The strait has two 3.2-km-wide shipping lanes (one inbound, one outbound) separated by a 3.2-km buffer zone.
- India gets approximately 90% of its LPG imports and a substantial portion of its crude through this waterway.
Connection to this news: The significance of two LPG tankers arriving safely — carrying just one day's worth of India's cooking gas requirement — illustrates how critical normal Hormuz transit is to India's daily energy supply chain, and why each vessel's passage requires diplomatic engagement at the foreign ministry level.
India's Flag State Obligations and Seafarer Welfare
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) framework, a Flag State is the country under whose flag a ship is registered. Flag states bear legal responsibility for ensuring the safety, welfare, and legal protection of their vessels and crew. India is a signatory to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006.
- India is one of the world's largest suppliers of seafarers — approximately 240,000 Indian mariners work aboard merchant ships globally, representing about 12% of the world's seafarer workforce.
- The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways regulates Indian-flagged vessels and certifies Indian seafarers.
- Indian-flagged vessels (registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958) are India's direct diplomatic responsibility in situations of stranding or seizure.
- UNCLOS Article 94 requires flag states to maintain jurisdiction and control over vessels flying their flag.
- The 22 stranded vessels with 611 seafarers represent both an energy supply crisis and a flag state obligation for India's External Affairs Ministry.
Connection to this news: India's diplomatic engagement with Iran is simultaneously fulfilling its flag state responsibilities to 611 stranded seafarers and its energy security obligations to domestic LPG consumers — both imperatives are driving the government's prioritisation of LPG carriers.
India-Iran Bilateral Relations: Strategic Dimensions
India and Iran maintain historically significant ties rooted in civilisational linkages, energy trade, and regional connectivity. Iran is a key node in India's connectivity vision — the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) runs through Chabahar Port in Iran, linking India to Central Asia and Russia.
- Chabahar Port: India has invested approximately $500 million in Phase I of Shahid Beheshti Terminal; the port offers India strategic access to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan.
- India-Iran oil trade: India was Iran's second-largest oil customer before US CAATSA/OFAC sanctions severely curtailed purchases post-2019.
- INSTC: A 7,200-km multimodal corridor (ship-rail-road) from Mumbai to Moscow via Tehran, offering a ~30% cost reduction and 40% shorter transit versus the Suez Canal route.
- India has balanced its Iran relationship carefully, avoiding formal anti-Iran stances even while deepening US strategic ties (QUAD, defence agreements).
- Iran's conditions for passage: Tehran has reportedly asked for the release of certain seized tankers and supply of medicines/medical equipment as part of bilateral discussions.
Connection to this news: India's ability to negotiate individual safe passages for LPG tankers reflects the residual diplomatic capital of the bilateral relationship, even as India's tilt toward the US-Israel camp in the broader conflict tests ties with Tehran.
Key Facts & Data
- MV Shivalik (arrived Mundra, March 15) + MV Nanda Devi (arrived Kandla, March 17) = 92,712 tonnes LPG combined
- 92,712 tonnes ≈ India's single-day LPG requirement
- 22 Indian-flagged vessels still stranded west of the Strait
- Stranded vessels: 6 LPG, 1 LNG, 4 crude tankers + others; 611 Indian seafarers aboard
- Strait of Hormuz: 20 mb/d oil flow = ~20% of global petroleum consumption
- India's Chabahar investment: ~$500 million in Phase I
- No "blanket arrangement" — each vessel transit is individually negotiated
- India prioritising 6 LPG tankers (carrying ~2.7 lakh tonnes) over crude/LNG in negotiations