Indian vessel 'Desh Garima' is expected to dock at Mumbai on Wednesday, carrying 97,000 metric tonnes of crude oil, according to Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The crucial tanker is making its way home is a significant operational development for India's energy supply chain at a time when the Strait of Hormuz — through which nearly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits — has been caught in the crossfire of the US-Iran conflict.
The strait has been intermittently blocked since late February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to impose and repeatedly reimpose a blockade on the critical chokepoint.
With a fragile two-week ceasefire now on the verge of expiry and peace talks in Islamabad hanging by a thread, the stakes for countries like India — which depends heavily on Gulf crude — could not be higher.
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Mangal said that 14 Indian vessels are currently present in the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the direct exposure of India's maritime fleet to the ongoing standoff.
The government is actively working to reduce the risks surrounding these vessels and the broader supply chain, he assured.
On the question of insurance — a mounting concern as war-risk premiums in the region have skyrocketed — Mangal said the government's maritime pool would be deployed primarily for re-insurance purposes.
He also outlined a longer-term structural shift, noting that a sovereign fund is being created to help reduce India's dependency on foreign reinsurance players, who have grown increasingly cautious about covering vessels transiting conflict zones.
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The arrival of Desh Garima, while a single vessel, will be watched as a marker of India's ability to keep energy flows moving despite the turbulence at one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.
The government, Mangal indicated, is leaving nothing to chance in securing the safe passage and commercial continuity of Indian shipping interests.
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