English rendering of PM’s remarks in the Lok Sabha on the ongoing conflict in West Asia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a comprehensive address to the Lok Sabha outlining India's response to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict in West Asia, covering five interconnected domains.
On energy security, he spoke about India's petroleum reserves, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity, and measures to ensure uninterrupted fuel availability for citizens.
On diaspora safety, he reported on the safe return of over 3,75,000 Indian nationals from the conflict zone, while acknowledging approximately 9 million Indians remain in Gulf countries.
On trade and economy, he highlighted India's extensive trade with warring and war-affected countries, noting that the difficult global situation may persist for a long time and that India must prepare accordingly.
On diplomacy, he reiterated India's commitment to dialogue and diplomacy rather than taking sides, characterising India's role as a responsible stakeholder in global peace.
On internal coordination, the PM announced a group of ministers and secretaries has been created to work in a "whole-of-government" approach, covering sectors from agriculture and fertilisers to shipping, finance, and supply chains.
The Lok Sabha as a Forum for Foreign Policy Accountability
The Indian Parliament, while not constitutionally mandated to approve foreign policy decisions, serves as a critical accountability mechanism for the executive's conduct of external affairs. The Prime Minister's address in Lok Sabha on a live international conflict is constitutionally grounded in the collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to Parliament under Article 75(3).
Key Details
- Article 75(3) of the Constitution: "The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People." This forms the basis for ministerial statements and special addresses on matters of national concern.
- Parliamentary questions on foreign affairs, emergency discussions under Rule 193 (discussion on a matter of urgent public importance in Lok Sabha), and calling attention motions are the primary instruments of parliamentary oversight.
- The PM's choice to address Lok Sabha personally — rather than a minister — signals the gravity of the crisis and is consistent with precedents set during the Kargil War (1999), the 26/11 attacks (2008), and the Galwan confrontation (2020).
- The Rajya Sabha was scheduled to receive a separate address the following day, maintaining the constitutional convention of equal treatment of both Houses on issues of national importance.
The PM's Lok Sabha address is thus simultaneously a policy communication, an accountability exercise, and a political signal — establishing parliamentary record for India's official position on the conflict.
India's Energy Security Framework: Strategic Reserves and Diversification
India's energy security architecture rests on three supply-side pillars — domestic production, import diversification, and strategic storage — supplemented by demand-side measures including renewable energy scaling and energy efficiency mandates.
Key Details
- India's oil import dependence: approximately 85% of crude requirements are met through imports, making energy security the single largest vulnerability in India's current account balance.
- Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR): India operates 5.33 MMT underground cavern storage at three Phase I sites (Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Padur), providing approximately 9.5 days of crude consumption cover — significantly below the IEA standard of 90 days.
- India's Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP, 2016) replaced the earlier New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) to boost domestic production through a revenue-sharing model; the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) allows continuous bidding for exploration blocks.
- India's crude import sources (diversified after 2018 Iran sanctions): Iraq (~22%), Saudi Arabia (~17%), Russia (~16%), UAE (~11%), USA (~8%).
- The 2026 West Asia conflict pushed the Indian crude basket price past $156/barrel at peak, before partial retreat to the $100-105 range.
PM Modi's specific mention of "petroleum reserves" in his Lok Sabha remarks is a deliberate signal that the SPR is being considered for drawdown — a rare event that requires political-level authorisation and is typically reserved for genuine supply disruptions.
India-West Asia Economic Interdependence
West Asia is India's largest trading region and the source of its most critical energy, remittance, and food-input (fertiliser) supplies. The depth of interdependence explains why any serious conflict in the region immediately becomes an Indian economic crisis.
Key Details
- India's annual trade with GCC countries: approximately $180 billion (2024-25), making GCC collectively India's largest trading bloc partner.
- India imports approximately 20 million tonnes of LNG annually, with Qatar supplying the largest single share; Qatar declared force majeure on LNG exports in early March 2026 due to the Hormuz blockade.
- Fertiliser imports: India imports substantial quantities of urea (from Oman, Qatar, UAE), DAP, and MOP — West Asia disruptions directly threaten the agricultural input supply chain for Kharif and Rabi seasons.
- Indian exports to West Asia: petroleum products, gems and jewellery, machinery, textiles, food items — a multi-billion dollar bilateral trade that faces disruption from port closures and shipping insurance hikes.
- The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of global oil trade; its closure raises freight rates and insurance premiums for all Indian imports, not just oil.
PM Modi's enumeration of petroleum, diaspora, trade routes, and food security in a single address reflects the holistic economic exposure — the West Asia conflict is simultaneously an energy, food, foreign exchange, and diaspora crisis for India.
- Indians repatriated from conflict zone: over 3,75,000.
- Indians remaining in GCC: approximately 9 million.
- India's SPR Phase I: 5.33 MMT (~9.5 days cover) at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Padur.
- India's oil import dependence: ~85%.
- Peak Indian crude basket price during 2026 conflict: above $156/barrel.
- India-GCC annual trade: approximately $180 billion.
- Qatar's LNG share in India's imports: largest single source; force majeure declared March 2026.
- Article 75(3), Constitution of India: basis for Council of Ministers' collective responsibility to Lok Sabha.
- Rule 193, Lok Sabha Rules: short duration discussion on matter of urgent public importance.