India is being forced into a rapid energy recalibration.
Drone strikes have turned the Strait of Hormuz into a high-risk transit corridor, raising costs for every shipment. With 88 per cent of its crude imported, New Delhi is attempting to rework a decades-old logistics map to establish alternate routes for oil transport and bypass the conflict.
India has diverted 75% of crude imports to non-Hormuz oil trade routes, up from 55% in February. Under Operation Sankalp, Navy destroyers are providing active defense, recently escorting the tanker Jag Laadki to Mundra Port on March 18. This shift prioritizes “escorted safety,” insulating the economy from the immediate conflict.
Pipelines like the UAE’s Habshan–Fujairah line and Saudi Arabia’s Petroline allow crude to bypass Hormuz by reaching the Gulf of Oman or Red Sea. However, these alternate routes for oil transport are capacity-constrained and shared, limiting how much India can realistically divert.
Russian crude continues to anchor India’s basket, while shipments from the US and Latin America provide diversification. These oil trade routes are longer, often taking 25–45 days, raising freight and insurance costs, with downstream pressure on fuel pricing.
New Delhi is using “strategic autonomy” to negotiate safe passage for Indian-flagged vessels through backchannels with Tehran. Recent diplomatic wins ensured neutral Indian ships avoided the crossfire in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains the passage remains open to “friendly” nations, providing a slim but essential corridor for energy stability.