What Happened
- Three Indian Navy warships escorted three Indian merchant vessels — Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki — through the Gulf of Oman as the West Asia conflict continued to threaten commercial shipping in the region.
- The naval escort operations are being conducted under Operation Sankalp, India's standing maritime security mission in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz region, which has been operational since June 2019.
- The merchant vessels being escorted include LPG tankers carrying energy cargo critical to India's domestic supply — underscoring the operation's role in energy security beyond general maritime protection.
- Indian warships have been continuously deployed in the region to provide escort, monitor threats, and coordinate with regional navies and the merchant shipping community.
- The operation reflects India's broader maritime doctrine of protecting freedom of navigation and safeguarding Indian economic interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and adjacent waters.
Static Topic Bridges
Operation Sankalp: India's Maritime Security Mission in the Gulf
Operation Sankalp was launched on June 19, 2019, by the Indian Navy in response to the deteriorating security situation in the Gulf of Oman following attacks on merchant vessels in June 2019, attributed to Iran in a context of escalating US-Iran tensions. The operation's mandate is to ensure safe and secure passage of Indian-flagged merchant vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and Gulf of Aden. Indian warships deployed under Operation Sankalp perform escort duties, gather maritime domain awareness, deter hostile actors through presence patrols, and coordinate with merchant vessel operators. The operation reflects a key shift in India's naval posture — from a coastal/regional navy to a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific and IOR, consistent with Prime Minister Modi's 2015 SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
- Launched: June 19, 2019
- Trigger: Attacks on merchant vessels in Gulf of Oman, June 2019
- Area of operation: Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden
- Mandate: Escort and protect Indian-flagged merchant vessels; maritime domain awareness; anti-piracy
- Operating authority: Indian Navy, under Ministry of Defence
- SAGAR vision (2015): India as net security provider in IOR; coined by PM Modi during Mauritius visit
Connection to this news: The 2026 reactivation/intensification of Operation Sankalp escorts — now involving simultaneous escort of LPG tankers — demonstrates the operation's adaptability to the escalating conflict environment, where energy cargo vessels face the highest threat premium.
Strait of Hormuz and India's Energy Security
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, with a navigable channel approximately 3 km wide, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is the world's most critical oil chokepoint — approximately 20 million barrels per day (about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption) passed through it in 2024, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). For India, the Strait of Hormuz is an existential energy artery: approximately 50% of India's crude oil imports transit through the strait, and approximately 90% of India's LPG imports — which fuel cooking for hundreds of millions of households — pass through it. Any closure or significant disruption of the strait would trigger immediate fuel shortages, inflationary pressure, and macroeconomic stress in India.
- Width of navigable channel: ~3 km (within a ~50 km wide strait)
- Daily oil flow through Hormuz (2024): ~20 million barrels per day (~20% of global petroleum liquids)
- India's crude imports via Hormuz: ~50% of total crude imports
- India's LPG imports via Hormuz: ~90% of total LPG imports
- Countries most exposed: China and India together receive >50% of Hormuz oil flow
- Alternative route if Hormuz closes: Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to transit and sharply raising costs
Connection to this news: The fact that Indian Navy vessels are escorting LPG tankers specifically — not just any cargo — reflects the priority India places on the Hormuz corridor for domestic energy supply, making Operation Sankalp a direct instrument of energy security policy.
India's Maritime Doctrine and Naval Posture in the Indian Ocean Region
India's strategic interests in the Indian Ocean are articulated through the Indian Maritime Security Strategy (IMSS 2015) and the Indian Naval Maritime Strategy "Ensuring Secure Seas" (2015). These documents define India's primary area of interest as the northern Indian Ocean from the Gulf of Aden to the Malacca Strait and mandate the Navy to ensure freedom of navigation, protect sea lines of communication (SLOCs), and deter hostile naval activity. India's naval deployments across the IOR include anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden (since 2008, under UNSC Resolution 1851), the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) multilateral forum, and Operation Sankalp in the Persian Gulf. The Navy also participates in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in Bahrain and has established information-sharing agreements with several IOR states.
- Indian Maritime Security Strategy (IMSS 2015): Defines primary and secondary areas of interest; IOR as primary zone
- Anti-piracy operations: Gulf of Aden patrols ongoing since 2008 (UNSC Resolution 1851 authorised)
- Combined Maritime Forces (CMF): 39-nation coalition based in Bahrain; India is a partner
- Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS): India-founded multilateral naval forum (2008)
- SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region): India's 2015 IOR vision for cooperative security
- Indian Navy operational areas: Littoral (coastal), Blue Water (deep ocean, far seas)
Connection to this news: Operation Sankalp escorts in the Gulf of Oman exemplify the Indian Navy's transition to a far-seas operational presence — projecting power to protect Indian economic interests 3,000+ km from India's coastline, a capability that underpins India's claims to be a major maritime power and net security provider in the IOR.
Key Facts & Data
- Operation Sankalp launched: June 19, 2019
- Vessels escorted in current operation: Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Laadki (LPG tankers)
- Strait of Hormuz daily oil flow (2024): ~20 million barrels/day (~20% global petroleum)
- India's crude imports via Hormuz: ~50% of total
- India's LPG imports via Hormuz: ~90% of total
- India-Gulf bilateral trade: ~$56.9 billion in exports; ~$60+ billion in energy imports
- Anti-piracy operations in Gulf of Aden: Ongoing since 2008 (UNSC Resolution 1851)
- IMSS 2015: Defines primary Indian maritime interest zone as northern Indian Ocean
- SAGAR vision: Articulated 2015, Mauritius; India as net security provider