India's Energy Security and Strategic Petroleum Reserves
India is the world's third-largest crude oil consumer and importer. Its energy security is structurally vulnerable to disruptions in the Persian Gulf. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) programme — managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) — maintains underground reserves at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, and Padur (total ~5.33 million metric tonnes, covering ~9.5 days of consumption). The Iran war and Hormuz closure in 2026 brought this vulnerability into sharp focus.
- India meets ~85% of its crude oil needs through imports; West Asia accounts for ~60–65% of supply.
- ISPRL was established under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- Phase I SPR capacity: 5.33 MMT (Visakhapatnam 1.33 MMT, Mangalore 1.5 MMT, Padur 2.5 MMT).
- IEA members maintain 90-day strategic reserves; India (not an IEA member) holds ~10 days.
- India's import dependency makes every Middle East conflict a direct national security issue.
● Tracked since March 07, 2026 · last seen August 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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