Page 6 - War Conflict

India's Russian oil buy surges 50% amid scramble to replace lost barrels

India's purchase of Russian crude oil has surged 50 per cent in March as New Delhi tapped alternate sources to make up for the shortfall arising from disruption in the Middle East amid a widening military conflict. India bought about 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil this month, up from 1.04 million bpd in February, ship tracking data showed. India, the world's third-largest crude importer, sources 88 per cent of its oil needs from abroad. It consumes 5.8 million barrels per day, of which 2.5-2.7 million barrels came from Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the UAE via the Strait of Hormuz. The chokepoint also carried 55 per cent of India's cooking gas (LPG) and 30 per cent of liquefied natural gas (LNG), used for power, fertilizers, CNG, and household cooking. The ongoing conflict has largely halted shipments through the strait, forcing India to seek alternative crude sources from Russia. "India was expected to import around 2.6 million barrels per day of crude vi

Govt fully geared to meet coal demand surge amid West Asia crisis

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia threatening global energy supplies, the government on Wednesday said it is fully prepared to meet any unprecedented surge in coal demand, with overall coal stocks at about 210 million tonne -- adequate for around 88 days. This year, coal production and supply have outpaced consumption, leading to record-high stocks at thermal power plants and coal mines. Supplies to the non-regulated sector are up nearly 14 per cent over the previous year. Pithead coal stocks at mines of Coal India Ltd (CIL) stood at 106.78 million tonne (MT) on April 1, 2025, rising to 121.39 MT as of March 9 this year. Further, there is around 6.07 MT of coal at the mines of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), another 15.12 MT at captive, commercial mines, and about 14 MT in transit, totalling 156.58 MT, the highest ever. This stock is in addition to the coal which is already available at power plants, which is around 54.05 MT as on March 9, 2026, adequate for near

Shell declares force majeure on Asia LNG deals after Qatar plant shutdown

Shell has an equity partnership with QatarEnergy in the massive Ras Laffan LNG plant, the largest single plant in the world, which shut down last week following a drone attack on the facility

UP Police recover 524 stolen LPG cylinders in Jhansi, arrest seven

Police have arrested seven men after an encounter and recovered more than 500 LPG cylinders stolen during the Holi festivities in Jhansi, an official said on Wednesday. Following a tip-off, the police arrested Javed, Aamir, Ritik, Sumit, Shubhankar, Abhishek and Surendra, all residents of Jhansi, on early Wednesday near a gas warehouse on the Gwalior Road, Senior Superintendent of Police B B G T S Murthy said. The police also recovered Rs 11.10 lakh in cash and Rs 83,820 believed to be proceeds from the sale of cylinders, from their possession, he said. According to the police, the truck driver, Rajkumar, had parked the vehicle loaded with 524 filled LPG cylinders outside the Bharat Petroleum depot in the Sipri Bazar area on March 2 before leaving for his home to celebrate Holi. When he returned on March 6, the truck was missing, following which the owner, Neeraj Agrawal, lodged a complaint. The truck was later found abandoned in the Baragaon area, with its damaged GPS, police sai

India faces LNG, LPG supply crunch after 10 days of West Asia war

Government prioritises LPG and LNG supply for domestic use as West Asia conflict disrupts shipments; India also secures alternative supplies that bypass the Strait of Hormuz

25 flights cancelled at Hyderabad Airport amid West Asia crisis

As many as 13 flights from Middle East countries to Hyderabad were cancelled on Tuesday following the ongoing conflict there, airport sources said. The sources further said 12 flights scheduled for leave to various countries in the Middle East were also cancelled. "Thirteen flights from the Middle East to Hyderabad were cancelled today. Similarly, 12 flights that should have left for the Middle East were also cancelled," sources told PTI. Social media is flooded with confused travellers seeking updates on the status of their flights. "I have a flight from Hyderabad to Kuwait and Kuwait to New York. Booking reference: AI6CP4. Can you please confirm if the flights will be running-on 13th March. In the app it's still showing confirmed," Rohit Chalumuri, a travellor posted on 'X'. Over 360 flights at Hyderabad Airport have been cancelled from February 28 till March 10, sources added.

West Asia conflict jolts oil markets as analysts weigh future energy shock

Brent crude briefly surged to $120 a barrel amid supply disruptions in West Asia. Analysts warn that the Iran war could reshape oil price trajectories and pose fresh risks to India's energy security

Putin's mediation proposals on Iran conflict still stand, says Kremlin

Peskov was speaking a day after Putin spoke by phone to US President Donald Trump and, according to the Kremlin, shared proposals aimed at ending the war in Iran quickly

Indian edible oil buyers move to secure prompt shipments as prices surge

India, which meets nearly two-thirds of its edible oil demand through imports, also buys palm oil from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, with shipments typically reaching its ports in about a week

Rising external uncertainties: Iran war can complicate economic management

Economists expect a CAD of about 1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) this financial year. This could increase to about 1.5 per cent in 2026-27

Impact of rising crude prices on inflation won't be substantial: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a written statement, said that the medium-term impact of global crude oil price rise on inflation would depend upon several factors

Central banks across Europe face rising rate hike bets amid Iran war

The unusually sharp repricing came as major oil producers cut supply and fears grew of prolonged shipping disruptions, pushing crude above $119 a barrel its highest level since mid-2022

West Asia war: 45K Indian containers stuck; export costs increase fivefold

Exporters stare at either a diversion in routes, or a U-turn to India

Air India adds flights to Europe, North America as West Asia unrest grows

Air India will add 78 flights to Europe, North America and South Asia as the Israel-Iran conflict restricts West Asia airspace and forces airlines to reroute or cancel services

David vs Goliath: Iran war reveals pricing asymmetry of weapons systems

Wars, as the historian Correlli Barnett once argued, are the ultimate audit. They reveal the strengths and weaknesses of states, economies, and institutions

Energy shocks from West Asia will have knock-on effects on India's economy

The Strait of Hormuz is currently closed to shipping, choking off 20 per cent of global oil and gas supply

The world must ensure Iran retains a functioning post-war state machinery

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale and unprovoked air and missile attack against Iran, killing Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader

Odisha firm designs India's first advanced long-range strike drone

IG Defence unveils 'Project KAL', an indigenous long-range strike drone capable of carrying explosive payloads up to 1,000 km, aimed at boosting India's unmanned warfare capabilities

US Navy will escort ships through Hormuz 'when reasonable': US Energy Secy

Wright also said Americans should see lower gas prices in weeks, not months

Azerbaijan to evacuate diplomats from Iran over security concerns

Azerbaijan reacted angrily on Thursday to what it said was an incursion by Iranian drones into its Nakhchivan exclave, with President Aliyev threatening retaliation