Indian shipowners have urged the Centre to secure safe and “unhindered” passage for Indian-flagged vessels caught in the escalating conflict zone around the Strait of Hormuz, warning of serious risks to crew safety and India’s energy security.
In a letter to Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, the Indian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) said the ongoing hostilities between “the USA and Israel on the one side, and Iran on the other has led to a complete blocked style closure of the Hormuz Straits.” The association noted that, based on reports gathered from members, “there are 27 Indian flag ships in the region with a majority of them in the Persian Gulf and some in the Gulf of Aden region,” many of them laden with crude oil or LPG destined for India.
“These ships are presently positioned in the said area and caught in the midst of the unfolding conflict with the safest option… to hold their positions,” INSA wrote, adding that collectively these vessels are “worth approximately Rs.10,000 crore plus and these valuable assets and its even more valuable people on board need to be protected.” The letter also cited TradeWinds reports that at least three tankers have been attacked in the Gulf since the conflict began on the night of February 27, 2026, and that a vessel owned by an INSA member “had a close shave with a missile dropping just within a range of approximately one mile from the ship.”
Highlighting India’s heavy dependence on Gulf energy supplies, INSA pointed out that “about 85% of India’s LPG imports are shipped via the Hormuz Strait,” stressing that “given the voluminous amounts imported from the region, it is not a trivial product or volume that can be easily substituted.” With several Indian tankers in the area already loaded and others waiting south of the Strait to lift additional cargo, the association warned that any prolonged disruption could strain India’s limited strategic reserves.
The letter flagged conflicting reports that “mainly Chinese and Iranian ships” have been seen transiting the Strait in both directions even as “indiscriminate shooting from the Iranian Coast Guard” has also been reported. Against this backdrop, INSA argued that “it is extremely important that our ships are able to gain free and safe passage through the Straits.”
Urging urgent diplomatic intervention, INSA requested the minister “to kindly use your good offices to convey through diplomatic channels to the decision-making authorities in Iran and Israel that safe movement of Indian flag ships in and out of the Hormuz Strait should be permitted so that India’s energy needs are met with an uninterrupted supply.” Such an assurance, it said, “will ensure safety of Indian ships and Indian citizens who are on board these vessels” and “also create a safe supply chain of crude oil and LPG imports.”
The association further warned that if Indian ships are not explicitly guaranteed safe passage, the situation could trigger “unprecedented high freight and insurance charges against Indian ships,” adding to the cost pressures on the country’s energy imports.
“We trust you will give this serious consideration and implore you to act immediately on our request,” INSA CEO Anil Devli wrote in closing, offering to provide any additional information the government may require on the situation.
