Thirty-eight Indian-flagged ships, mostly carrying crude oil and LNG and crewed by nearly 1,100 Indian seafarers, are stranded in the Persian Gulf as the West Asia conflict shuts down traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Officials said 24 of these vessels are stuck west of the Strait and another 14 to the east, forced to hold position amid missile and drone threats in one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.
While authorities stressed that “there have been no confirmed instances of casualty, detention or boarding involving Indian-flagged vessels,” they confirmed four serious incidents involving Indian crew on foreign-flagged ships, resulting in three deaths and one injury in attacks off Oman. An estimated 23,000 Indian seafarers are on different ships in the conflict-hit region at any given time, making India the world’s third-largest supplier of maritime labour after the Philippines and China.
Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal has chaired a high-level review with the Directorate General of Shipping and other agencies, directing them to prioritise the “safety and welfare of Indian seafarers as well as the security of maritime assets” and to closely track the status of Indian-flag ships and crew. The turmoil has also triggered wider disruptions, with at least five tankers reported damaged and about 150 ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz, even as container lines suspend West Asia calls or reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost for Indian trade.
