Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia

Parveen Kumar

12 hours ago

Fertiliser availability remains robust – supplies continue to exceed the requirements

No change in the MRP of major fertilizers despite a sharp rise in global prices; Government committed to shielding farmers from global price volatility while ensuring affordability and accessibility

Enforcement actions continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG; more than 1800 raids conducted across the country yesterday

About 19.5 Lakh – 5 Kg FTL cylinders sold since 1st April 2026

Avg. Auto LPG sale by PSU OMCs in the month of April-26 (till yesterday) reaches 346 MT/day against the avg. of around 177 MT/day during Jan-26 and Feb-26 reflecting an increase of around 95%

All Indian seafarers in the region are safe; no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels reported in the past 24 hours

India expands outreach to Gulf region on directions of Prime Minister; two high-level India-UAE engagements within a month

Air India and Indigo plan to resume flight operations from Qatar to India soon

April 27, 2026

Amid the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India continues its efforts to keep citizens informed through regular updates. In this regard, a media briefing was held today at the National Media Centre, where officers from the Ministries ofPetroleum and Natural Gas, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and External Affairs provided updates on fuel availability, maritime operations, assistance to Indian nationals in the region, and measures being undertaken to maintain stability across key sectors. The Ministry of Fertilizers also shared updates regarding the fertilizer sector.

Fertilizer stock position and availability

Overall Stock Position of Fertilizers in the country

Product	As on today	As on today last year
Urea	71.58	70.67
DAP	22.35	15.07
NPKs	57.56	44.49
SSP	26.26	26.14
MOP	12.46	12.87
Total	190.21	169.24

For Kharif 2026, the fertiliser requirement has been assessed by DA&FW at 390.54 LMT, against this stock as on today is around 190 LMT (49%), significantly higher than the usual level of about 33%. This reflects improved planning, advance stocking, and efficient logistics management by the Government.
Supply position continues to be strong in the states. For the period 1 April 2026 to 26 April 2026, availability remains substantially higher than requirement.
Urea availability is 71.40 LMT against a requirement of 20.54 LMT, DAP availability is 23.09 LMT against 6.67 LMT requirement, MOP availability is 8.38 LMT against 1.96 LMT requirement, NPK availability is 53.40 LMT against 8.43 LMT requirement, and SSP availability is 25.78 LMT against 3.73 LMT requirement. This clearly indicates a strong opening position for the ongoing Kharif season.

MRP of major fertilizers – No change in the MRP of Major Fertilizers

Product	Pre-War (Rs. Per Bag)	After War (Rs. Per Bag)
Urea	266.5	266.5
DAP	1350	1350
TSP	1300	1300

Despite a sharp rise in global fertiliser prices—where international prices of urea have exceeded ₹4,000 per bag—the Government continues to supply urea to farmers at a highly subsidised rate of ₹266.5 per 45 kg bag. This underscores the Government’s commitment to shielding farmers from global price volatility while ensuring affordability and accessibility.

Domestic production and import of fertilizers after war

Product	Domestic production after crisis	Import reached on Indian Ports after crisis
Urea	35.42	9.4
DAP	4.50	0.76
NPKs	12.08	1.95
SSP	7.01	0
MOP	0	1.85
Total	59.01	13.96

Issues relating to natural gas availability for domestic urea production have also been addressed, with steady supply being maintained to fertiliser plants and additional LNG/RLNG being arranged as required. At present -97% LNG/RLNG is available with fertilizer plants. Most of the urea plants are running at optimum level.
Global Urea Tender- In Feb-2026, India secured 13.07 LMT urea and now Government has diversified import sources and secured 25 LMT of urea through global tender.
Global Tender for DAP, TSP and Ammonium Sulphate- Indian Fertilizers companies have issued aggregated global tender for procurement of 12 LMT DAP & 4 LMT TSP and 3 LMT Ammonium Sulphate on Friday i.e. 24.04.2026. These will help to ensure adequate availability during the peak season.
At present no major issues in the availability of inputs for production of fertilizers i.e. Urea and P&K fertilizers.
6 Meeting of EGoS held till date to ensure the adequate availability of the fertilizers and most of the challenges in the availability addressed by EGoS.
India’s fertiliser security remains strong, stable, and well-managed, with availability consistently exceeding requirement across all major fertilisers.

Energy Supply and Fuel Availability

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas provided an update on the current fuel supply situation, outlining measures being taken to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG in the context of the evolving situation in West Asia. It was noted that:

Public Advisory and Citizen Awareness

Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG as the Govt is making all efforts to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and LPG.
Beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information.
LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors.
Citizens are encouraged to use alternate fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops.
All citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily use during the current situation.

Government Preparedness and Supply Management Measures

Despite the ongoing geopolitical situation, the Government has ensured that 100% supply is being made to Domestic LPG, Domestic PNG and CNG (Transport).
For commercial LPG, priority has been given to hospitals, educational institutions. Besides this, priority has also been given to pharma, steel, automobile, seed, agriculture, etc. In addition to this, supply of 5 Kg FTL to migrant labour is also doubled based on avg. daily supply on 2nd and 3rd March 2026.
The Government has already implemented several rationalisation measures on both the supply and demand side, including enhancing refinery production, increasing the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas and prioritising sectors for supply.
Alternate fuels such as kerosene and coal have been made available to ease pressure on LPG demand.
The Ministry of Coal has directed Coal India and Singareni Collieries to supply additional coal to States for distribution to small and medium consumers.
States have been advised to facilitate new PNG connections for domestic and commercial consumers.

Coordinated Efforts with States/UTs and Institutional Mechanisms

State Governments are empowered under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and LPG Control Order, 2000 to monitor supply and act against hoarding and black marketing.
Govt. of States/UTs have to play a primary role in monitoring and regulating supply situation of essential commodities including Petrol, Diesel and LPG. Govt. of India has reiterated the same via multiple letters and VCs to all States/UTs.
The Government of India vide letters dated 27.03.2026 and 02.04.2026 have stressed the need for proactive public communication to reassure citizens regarding adequate fuel availability. Regular review meetings are being held with States/UTs. In this context, meetings were convened on 02.04.2026 (Chaired by Secretary, MoPNG) and on 06.04.2026 (Chaired by Secretary, MoPNG along with Secretaries of I&B and Consumer Affairs), wherein the following was emphasized:
- To issue daily press briefings and issue regular public advisories.
- To actively monitor and counter fake news / misinformation on social media.
- To intensify daily enforcement drives by District admin and to continue raids and inspections in coordination with OMCs
- To issue Commercial LPG allocation orders within their States/UTs
- To issue SKO allocation orders for additional SKO allotted to the States/UTs.
- To promote PNG adoptions and alternate fuels.
- To prioritize LPG supply, especially for domestic needs, and adopt targeted distribution of 5 kg FTL cylinders to ensure supply stability.
All States/UTs have established control rooms and district monitoring committees to curb hoarding and black marketing.
Many states/UTs are issuing/carrying out press briefs.

Enforcement and Monitoring Actions

Enforcement actions continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG. Yesterday, more than 1800 raids were conducted across the country.
PSU OMCs have strengthened and continued surprise inspections and imposed penalties on 310 LPG distributorships, and 71 LPG distributorships have been suspended till yesterday.

LPG Supply

Domestic LPG Supply Status:

LPG supply continues to be affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation.
Supply of LPG to domestic households has been prioritized.
No dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships.
Online LPG cylinder bookings increased to 99% on industry basis yesterday.
Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries have increased to around 93% to prevent diversion. DAC is received on the registered mobile number of the consumer.
Most of the LPG distributorships were operating on Sunday to ensure delivery of domestic LPG cylinders to households.

Commercial LPG Supply and Allocation Measures:

Total commercial LPG allocation has been increased to about 70% of pre-crisis levels, including 10% reform-linked allocation.
The Government of India vide letter dated 06.04.2026 has conveyed that daily quantity of 5 Kg FTL cylinders in each State available for disbursal to migrant labourers is being doubled based on the average daily supply (Number of cylinders) to migrant labourers during 2nd-3rd March 2026 beyond the limit of 20% mentioned in letter dated 21.03.2026. These 5 Kg FTL cylinders are at disposal of the State Government for supplying only to migrant labourers in their State with assistance of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
Since 1st April 2026, about 19.5 Lakh – 5 Kg FTL cylinders have been sold.
Since 3rd April 2026, PSU OMCs have organised about 9080 awareness camps for 5 Kg FTL Cylinders, wherein more than 1,46,000 – 5Kg FTL cylinders were also sold.
Yesterday, 3430 – 5 Kg FTLs were sold through more than 110 camps.
A three-member committee of Executive Directors from IOCL, HPCL and BPCL is coordinating with State authorities and industry bodies to plan commercial LPG distribution in the States/UTs.
During the month of April-26 (till 26.04.26), a total of 1,65,627 MT (Equivalent to more than 87.17 Lakh of 19 Kg LPG Cylinders) of Commercial LPG has been sold.
Avg. Auto LPG sale by PSU OMCs in the month of April-26 (till 26.04.26) is around 346 MT/day against the avg. of around 177 MT/day during Jan-26 and Feb-26. This reflects an increase of around 95% in Auto LPG sales by PSU OMCs.

Natural Gas Supply and PNG Expansion Initiatives

Consumers have been prioritised with 100% supplies to D-PNG and CNG-Transport.
The overall gas allocation to fertilizer plants has been enhanced to approximately 95% of their six-month average consumption.

Additionally, gas supply to other industrial and commercial sectors, including supplies through CGD networks, is enhanced up to 80%.
CGD entities have been advised to prioritize PNG connections for commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants and canteens across all their GAs, to address concerns regarding the availability of commercial LPG.
CGD companies including IGL, MGL, GAIL Gas and BPCL are offering incentives for domestic and commercial PNG connections.
States/UTs and Central Ministries have been requested to expedite approvals required for expansion of CGD networks.
The Government of India vide letter dated 18.03.2026 has offered all States/UTs additional 10% allocation of commercial LPG to States provided they can help in long term transition from LPG to PNG.
22 States/UTs are receiving additional commercial LPG allocation linked to PNG expansion reforms.
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways vide letter dated 24.03.26 has adopted an ‘Accelerated Approval Framework for CGD infrastructure with reduced timelines’ as a special for 3 months to process applications pertaining to CGD infrastructure on priority.
The Government of India vide Gazette dated 24.03.2026 has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Order provides a streamlined and time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines across the country, addressing delays in approvals and access to land, and enabling faster development of natural gas infrastructure, including in residential areas. It is expected to accelerate PNG network growth, enhance last-mile connectivity, and support the transition to cleaner fuels, thereby strengthening energy security and advancing India’s gas-based economy.
PNGRB has directed CGD entities to expedite D-PNG connections. Also, the National PNG Drive 2.0 has been extended till 30.06.2026 to sustain momentum in PNG expansion.
To encourage a cleaner, more secure and self-reliant energy future, the Government of India has developed a model draft State CBG Policy. The model policy is intended to serve as a comprehensive flexible guiding framework to enable States to create their own investor-friendly and implementation-oriented ecosystem for CBG development. Those States which opt for this, will be prioritized for the next tranche of additional allocation of commercial LPG.
MoEFCC vide order dated 07.04.2026 has directed CPCB to issue necessary directions to SPCB/PCCs for granting consent to establish or consent to operate within 15 days for CGD network/infrastructure.
Since March 2026, about 5.52 Lakh PNG connections have been gasified and infrastructure has been created for additional 2.63 lakh connections, taking the total to 8.15 lakh connections. Further, about 6.21 Lakh customers have been registered for new connections.
Till 21.04.2026, more than 42,600 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections via MYPNGD.in website.

Crude Position and Refinery Operations

All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained.
Domestic LPG production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption.
An inter-ministerial Joint Working Group (JWG) has been set up to ensure availability of petrochemical feedstock supply for the domestic market. Subsequently, Govt. of India vide order dated 01.04.2026 has permitted Oil Refinery companies including Petrochemical Complexes to make certain minimum quantities of C3 & C4 streams available for critical sectors as determined by Centre for High Technology (CHT).
Based on the requests received from the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Chemicals & Petro Chemicals (DCPC), Dept. for Promotion of Industry and internal trade (DPIIT), the provision for 1000 MT/day, from LPG pool, has been made for Pharma and Chemical sector companies.
Since 9^th April 2026, more than 7800 MT of propylene has been sold by Mumbai, Kochi and Mathura refineries to the Chemical and Pharma Industry.

Retail Fuel Availability and pricing Measures

PSU Retail outlets are operating normally. Despite panic buying being observed at certain Retail Outlets due to rumours, PSU Oil Marketing Companies are ensuring adequate stocks of petrol and diesel at their retail outlets.
The Middle East crisis has led to an abnormal increase in crude prices; however, to protect consumers, the Government of India has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10 per litre.
Govt. of India vide Gazette notification dated 11.04.2026 has increased the export levy on diesel to Rs. 55.50 per litre and on ATF to Rs. 42 per litre, to ensure availability of these products in the domestic market.
Regular Retail Prices for Petrol and Diesel are unchanged and there is no price increase at PSU OMCs Retail Outlets.

Kerosene Availability and Distribution Measures

An additional allocation of 48,000 KL of kerosene has been provided to States/UTs over and above regular allocation.
18 States/UTs have issued SKO allocation orders, while Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh have indicated no requirement.

Maritime Safety and Shipping Operations

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways provided an update on the prevailing maritime situation in the Persian Gulf, detailing the measures being undertaken to ensure the safety and security of Indian vessels and crew in the region. It was stated that:

An incident was reported involving a Togo-flagged oil/chemical tanker MT CHIRON 7 (IMO No. 9127291), which had 17 Indian seafarers onboard (total crew: 24) on 25th April 2026. The incident occurred at Shinas Outer Port Limit, Oman. The vessel was navigating near ships intercepted by the Iranian Coast Guard, during which warning shots were fired. All 17 Indian seafarers onboard are safe.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations.
All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours.
DG Shipping Control Room Update: The Control Room has handled 7,780 calls and more than 16,658 emails since activation. In the past 24 hours, 25 calls and 140 emails have been received.
Repatriation Update: The Ministry, through the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 2,776 Indian seafarers so far, including 12 in the last 24 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.
Port Operations: Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported.

Safety of Indian Nationals in the Region

The Ministry of External Affairs continues to monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region, with focused efforts on ensuring safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region. It was informed that:

The Dedicated special control room in the Ministry is operational to respond to queries from Indian nationals and their families.
The Ministry of External Affairs is in regular contact with State Governments and Union Territories for sharing of information and better alignment of efforts.
Indian embassies and consulates continue to operate round-the-clock helplines to provide timely assistance and are proactively assisting our citizens. They are also in close contact with the local Governments.
Updated advisories are being issued including information related to local government guidelines, flight and travel situations, consular services and various welfare measures being undertaken for the community.
Indian Missions are actively engaged with the resident Indian community. They are regularly interacting with the Indian community associations, organizations, professional groups, and Indian companies to address their concerns.
Government is according high priority to the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region. Indian Missions are extending all assistance to them including coordination with the local authorities and agencies, extending consular assistance, and assisting for requests to return to India.
The overall flight situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations in India. Since 28 February, around 13,19,000 passengers have travelled from the region to India.
In the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited commercial flights between the UAE and India based on operational and safety considerations, with around 105 flights expected today between UAE and India.
Flights continue to operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to various destinations in India.
With Qatar airspace partially open, Qatar Airways is operating flights to various destinations in India. Air India and Indigo are also planning to resume flight operations from Qatar to India soon.
Kuwait airspace is open. Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways have resumed limited flight operations from Kuwait to India.
Bahrain airspace is open. Gulf Air is operating flights from Bahrain to various destinations in India.
Iraq airspace is open with limited flight operations to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India.
Iran airspace is partially open for cargo and chartered flights. Indian nationals are advised to avoid travelling to Iran and those already there are urged to leave via land border routes, with Indian Embassy’s support. So far, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has facilitated movement of 2,461 Indian nationals out of Iran through land border routes.
Israel airspace is open and limited flight operations have resumed to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India.

Outreach to the Gulf region

India has been expanding its outreach to countries in the Gulf region on the directions of the Prime Minister.
NSA Ajit Doval paid an official visit to the UAE on 25-26 April, 2026. He called on President HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayad Al Nahyan on 25 April, 2026 and conveyed greetings of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Both sides discussed measures to deepen the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the regional situation and other issues of mutual interest.
This marks the second high-level engagement between India and the UAE within a month. Earlier, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited UAE on 11-12 April. He met with the Foreign Minister of UAE and also called on President HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan wherein he conveyed gratitude for ensuring well-being of the Indian community during the West Asia conflict. The External Affairs Minister had also thanked the President for his guidance on further strengthening the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Share this: