Shipping crisis exposes gaps in India’s maritime strategy
The ongoing conflict in West Asia triggered a severe shipping crisis in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, bringing into sharp focus long-standing st...
What Happened
- The ongoing conflict in West Asia triggered a severe shipping crisis in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, bringing into sharp focus long-standing structural gaps in India's maritime strategy.
- At the peak of the crisis, 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,109 sailors were stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz safely.
- Two Indian-flagged vessels came under fire from IRGC gunboats near Larak Island on April 18, 2026, while attempting to transit the Strait, even after Iran had issued assurances about commercial shipping safety — exposing a coordination gap within the Iranian system.
- Official data showed that over 1.6 million tonnes of crude oil, 320,000 tonnes of LPG, and 200,000 tonnes of LNG aboard Indian-flagged vessels were stalled, awaiting safe passage.
- Analysis of the episode highlighted that India lacks a dedicated National Maritime Security Framework that integrates its overlapping policy instruments — the Maritime Security Strategy (2015), the Sagarmala Project, and the Blue Economy Policy — into a coherent operational doctrine.
Static Topic Bridges
The Strait of Hormuz: A Critical Maritime Chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran, is approximately 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point and is the world's most strategically significant oil transit chokepoint. Approximately 21 million barrels of oil per day — roughly 20% of global oil trade — pass through it. For India, this strait has historically been the primary corridor for Persian Gulf energy imports, making any disruption to it an immediate energy and economic security threat.
- Before the current conflict, approximately 50% of India's crude oil imports transited the Strait of Hormuz.
- Over 60% of India's crude imports originate from Persian Gulf countries (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE).
- India imports approximately 87% of its crude oil requirements, making it structurally dependent on seaborne supply lines.
- As of 2026, approximately 70% of India's crude imports have been rerouted away from the Strait, using alternative sources and routing via the Cape of Good Hope.
Connection to this news: The stranding of 37 Indian ships and the stalling of over 1.6 million tonnes of energy cargo directly illustrates how India's energy security is held hostage to a single chokepoint — a vulnerability that the current crisis has translated from a theoretical risk into an operational emergency.
SAGAR and MAHASAGAR: India's Maritime Vision Doctrines
India's strategic maritime framework has evolved through successive doctrinal statements. The SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, articulated in 2015, frames the Indian Ocean as a shared commons and emphasises collective security, especially for the Indian Ocean littoral states. In March 2025, India announced MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), expanding the geographic and strategic scope of this vision to include wider inter-regional maritime cooperation.
- SAGAR was first articulated during an official visit to Mauritius in March 2015.
- MAHASAGAR (2025) extends the SAGAR framework to a broader inter-regional dimension, reflecting India's Indo-Pacific engagement.
- The Indian Maritime Doctrine (2025) has been critiqued for not explicitly referencing either SAGAR or MAHASAGAR — a disconnect between political vision and naval planning.
- India's Indo-Pacific strategy is anchored on principles of freedom of navigation, open sea lanes, and a rules-based maritime order.
Connection to this news: The crisis has exposed precisely the gap that analysts had identified in India's maritime doctrine: the vision of free and open sea lanes has not been sufficiently operationalised into a framework for protecting Indian commercial shipping during geopolitical emergencies.
Sagarmala Project and India's Merchant Fleet Limitations
The Sagarmala Project (launched 2015) is India's flagship port-led development initiative, focusing on port modernisation, coastal shipping, logistics integration, and coastal economic zones. While it has made significant progress in port infrastructure, it does not directly address India's relatively modest merchant fleet, which is a limiting factor in national maritime resilience.
- India is the world's 16th largest shipping nation by fleet size, a position disproportionately small relative to its trade volumes.
- Over 90% of India's trade by volume moves by sea; over 85% of crude oil imports move by sea.
- India's merchant fleet is predominantly owned by private operators; the government has proposed a National Shipping Policy to incentivise Indian-flagged vessels.
- Sagarmala Phase-II focuses on port modernisation and coastal shipping corridors.
Connection to this news: The stranding of Indian seafarers and cargo highlights the absence of a statutory framework for crisis-time coordination between the government, the Indian Navy, and private shipping operators — a gap that a consolidated National Maritime Security Framework would address.
Freedom of Navigation and International Maritime Law (UNCLOS)
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) establishes the legal architecture for maritime navigation. Under UNCLOS, the Strait of Hormuz is an international strait through which all ships enjoy the right of transit passage (Article 38), a right that cannot be suspended even in times of conflict. India is a signatory to UNCLOS and has consistently advocated for a rules-based maritime order.
- UNCLOS was opened for signature in 1982 and entered into force in 1994; India ratified it in 1995.
- Article 38 guarantees the right of transit passage through international straits used for international navigation.
- The right of transit passage cannot be suspended by the bordering state.
- Interference with commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz violates this right and international customary law.
Connection to this news: The IRGC's interference with Indian commercial vessels — even after diplomatic assurances — is a violation of the transit passage rights under UNCLOS, and underscores why India's advocacy for a rules-based maritime order requires both diplomatic and naval instruments to be effective.
Key Facts & Data
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,109 sailors stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman at the peak of the crisis
- Cargo stalled: 1.6 million tonnes of crude oil, 320,000 tonnes of LPG, 200,000 tonnes of LNG
- Strait of Hormuz: approximately 33 km wide at narrowest point; approximately 20% of global oil trade passes through it
- India's crude oil import dependence: approximately 87% of consumption is imported
- Gulf countries account for over 60% of India's crude imports
- India's SPR: 5.33 MMT capacity, approximately 9.5 days of import cover at full capacity
- SAGAR doctrine: articulated 2015; MAHASAGAR: articulated March 2025
- UNCLOS ratified by India: 1995; transit passage rights under Article 38 cannot be suspended
- India's combined strategic and commercial oil stock: approximately 74 days (below IEA's recommended 90 days)