The LPG tanker Nanda Devi has arrived at Vadinar Port in Gujarat carrying about 46,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), Indian shipping officials confirmed. The vessel sailed from Qatar and transited the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic talks between New Delhi and Tehran. Nanda Devi is the second of two Indian-flagged LPG ships to make the passage following recent regional tensions.
India’s shipping and ports minister, Sabarnanda Sonowal, praised the crews and captains for delivering what the government called “vital LPG cargo.” Officials said they are working to bring back more Indian vessels from the Gulf. A third Indian tanker carrying crude oil from the United Arab Emirates was also scheduled to arrive in India the same day.
The arrivals follow a sharp decline in oil and gas shipments from the Gulf since the outbreak of war involving Iran on February 28, when transit through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply. Iran briefly declared the strait closed on March 2 and threatened to attack ships attempting to pass, later stating it would allow passage to all but the US and its allies. India, the world’s second-largest LPG importer, moved to enforce emergency measures to manage domestic shortages and pursued diplomatic channels with Tehran to secure safe passage for its flagged vessels.
Two LPG carriers—Shivalik and Nanda Devi—crossed the strait after negotiations and were escorted by the Indian Navy under “Operation Sankalp,” the protection initiative for Indian vessels operating in the conflict-affected Gulf. Another Indian-flagged tanker, Jag Laadki, was due to arrive at a different Gujarat port after earlier incidents in the region; officials said everyone aboard that vessel was unharmed. The government reported that 22 Indian ships remained in the Gulf and that talks to repatriate them were ongoing.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told the Financial Times there was no “blanket agreement” with Iran governing ship movements, underscoring that escorts and clearances resulted from case-by-case diplomatic engagement.
Domestically, the LPG disruption has prompted authorities to encourage households to switch to piped natural gas (PNG) where available to ease pressure on limited cylinder supplies. The shortage has affected millions of Indian households that rely on LPG for cooking, prompting emergency management steps by the government.
In aviation developments linked to the regional unrest, Air India and Air India Express planned a combined 44 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the Middle East on Tuesday, March 17, including 24 non-scheduled services subject to slot availability. Flights to and from Dubai had been temporarily suspended amid airspace closures following Iranian attacks; UAE airspace was reopened later the same day. Millions of Indian nationals live and work across Gulf countries, and many have been seeking to travel home amid the tensions.
Separately at the United Nations, India’s ambassador Harish Parvathaneni accused Pakistan of “fabricating imaginative tales of Islamophobia” and warned of the risks of weaponising religion for political ends. He criticised Pakistan over alleged repression of Ahmadis, large-scale returns of Afghans, and recent air strikes. His remarks followed reports of a Pakistani airstrike on a drug treatment facility in Kabul that reportedly killed at least 400 people and left many injured. Parvathaneni also said the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had repeatedly made “false and baseless allegations” against India, a charge India links to Pakistani influence.
Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have separately criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for policies they say discriminate against religious minorities; India’s Muslim population exceeds 200 million.
This report reflects developments as of March 17, 2026, covering maritime movements, diplomatic efforts to secure shipping routes, domestic measures to manage fuel shortages, airline operations related to Gulf routes, and diplomatic exchanges at the UN.