The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortages that India faces as a result of the Middle East conflict have highlighted the need to strengthen the resilience of the nation’s most politically sensitive fuel.

Data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) shows that LPG consumption reached 31.32 million tonnes in 2024-25, while domestic production was 12.79 million tonnes. This means that close to 60% of demand was met by imports, most of which transit through the conflict‑hit Strait of Hormuz.

When flows through this corridor were disrupted, India’s LPG supply chain came under immediate strain. Arrivals fell sharply, March imports dropped to 1.19 million tonnes, a 46% decline, triggering spillovers into the domestic economy.

The government moved swiftly to prioritize household consumption while tightening supplies to industry, even as limited storage, barely 2-3 weeks of demand, narrowed the response window. New Delhi simultaneously invoked emergency measures to maximize refinery LPG output, with domestic production rising by roughly 40% in early March and scrambled for cargoes from alternative suppliers such as the US and Norway.

In this reshuffle, Russia, already India’s largest crude supplier, has emerged as a marginal LPG source. The key constraints, however, are limited volumes and complex logistics.

India’s structural LPG dependence

India’s LPG imports have risen steadily, from 14.81 million tonnes in 2019-20 to 20.67 million tonnes in 2024-25 following the expansion of clean‑cooking access and rising consumption. Over the same period, domestic production has remained broadly flat at around 12-13 million tonnes, even as consumption increased from 26.33 million tonnes to 31.32 million tonnes. As a result, imports have absorbed most of the incremental demand, pushing their share to around two‑thirds of total consumption.

The crisis has also exposed a weaker link in India’s LPG chain of limited storage capacity. PPAC’s latest LPG Profile Report puts total LPG tankage at about 1.2 million tonnes, equivalent to roughly 15 days of national demand. Bottling plants on average hold only around six days of stock, so even short‑lived disruptions leave policymakers with little room for maneuver and quickly amplify external shocks.

Russian routes: Ust‑Luga, Vladivostok, and the NSR

Reports suggest that India increasingly secures LPG cargoes from Russia and Japan as well as the US. Given that India consumes 2.6 million tonnes of LPG a month, around 80,000-90,000 tonnes a day, even several alternative cargoes, typically 40,000-60,000 tonnes each, cover only a few days of national demand. Initial Russian and Japanese supplies are therefore strategic hedges, not game‑changers.

But diversifying suppliers is not the same as diversifying routes. That is why Russia and longer‑range corridors such as the Northern Sea Route and the proposed Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor have entered the policy debate as they offer route diversity when the Middle East is on fire.

Indian strategists see two broad corridors for these volumes. A western route runs from the Baltic or Black Sea through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and Red Sea into the Arabian Sea, bypassing Hormuz but adding exposure at Suez and Bab el‑Mandeb; deliveries to Kochi, Mangaluru, or Jamnagar would take around 40 days or more.

An eastern route departs from Russia’s Far East around Vladivostok, passes through the Sea of Japan, the East and South China seas, and the Strait of Malacca, and then across the Bay of Bengal to India’s east coast, reaching Haldia, Paradip, or Ennore in 12-24 days. This corridor concentrates risk in Malacca, crowded with container traffic and lying under Chinese naval shadow, but it fits India’s broader Indo‑Pacific calculus if eventually anchored in a formal Chennai-Vladivostok link.

For now, talk of the Northern Sea Route as an energy lifeline is more ambitious than a near‑term solution. Harsh ice conditions, the small fleet of ice‑class tankers and LNG carriers certified for Arctic operations, high insurance premiums, and sanctions on key Russian Arctic oil and gas projects limit the commercial viability of NSR‑based LPG trades in the near term.

Even with record traffic of about 38 million tonnes in 2024, total NSR cargo is still a fraction of the hundreds of millions of tonnes moving through the Suez Canal each year, which is why most analysts see it as a niche supplement rather than a realistic replacement for existing routes.

Yet both capitals are clearly intent on keeping the Vladivostok-Chennai Eastern Maritime Corridor on the table as an option, with Indian ministers describing it as operational and highlighting its early role in carrying crude and other bulk cargoes between Russia’s Far East and India’s east coast.

Security premium, signaling and political calculus

Russia’s role as a swing supplier is about redrawing risk, not replacing the Gulf. India imported around 20.67 million tonnes of LPG in 2024-25, implying an import requirement of 1.7-1.9 million tonnes per month and leaving overseas supplies to meet the bulk of domestic demand. Even under optimistic assumptions, Russia’s incremental export capacity can cover only a small share of this requirement, broadly comparable to the eventual scale of India’s long‑term LPG arrangement with the United States, so alternative suppliers can buffer shocks but not substitute the Gulf.

There is also a domestic political dimension. LPG is the flagship symbol of the government’s clean‑cooking drive, and a prolonged shortage would be far more electorally damaging than a technical disruption in refinery crude runs. This is why official communications during the crisis have stressed refinery output ramp‑ups and diversified sourcing, amplified by images of VLGCs discharging LPG at Indian ports, alongside repeated assurances that people’s fuel needs will be met.

For policymakers, the strategic choice is how much to invest in tanks at home versus miles at sea, whether to expand LPG storage or pay a premium for Russian and other non‑Hormuz cargoes, since Russia cannot replace the Gulf but, via routes from Ust‑Luga through Suez and from Vladivostok through Malacca, does give New Delhi a way to recast supply risk beyond West Asia.

For Moscow, stepping in as a dependable swing supplier, even at modest volumes, cements its image in India as a long‑term energy partner rather than a crisis‑time outlier.

India has inducted a warship capable of carrying BrahMos supersonic missiles into its naval fleet.

The advanced stealth frigate, INS Taragiri, was commissioned at Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.

“This commissioning highlights the strategic and maritime importance of India’s eastern seaboard as well as the Indian Navy’s sustained focus on strengthening its combat readiness and operational might while strongly reinforcing the objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat [Self-reliant India],” Singh said in a post on X.

⚓️ Legacy Reborn. Power Redefined.

Presenting the story of INS Taragiri - a journey of strength, stealth and indigenous excellence, reflecting India’s rise as a formidable maritime power.

From legacy to the future fleet, Taragiri stands ready to safeguard the seas.… pic.twitter.com/T8bigXfQkD

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 3, 2026

INS Taragiri was designed by the Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Singh said.

The 6,670-tonne warship, built with over 75% indigenous content, signifies a major advancement in naval engineering and the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Taragiri boasts of a powerful weapon suite and advanced systems for versatile maritime operations.

It is designed for high-speed, high-endurance operations and is driven by a Combined Diesel or Gas propulsion plant.

Apart from BrahMos, the ship is also equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles and an anti-submarine warfare suite, according to reports.

BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles are jointly developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya rocket design bureau, which produces Oniks missiles.

INS Taragiri is also envisaged to play a key role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, apart from its combat potential.

India and China have held talks aimed at expanding bilateral trade, on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization’s ministerial conference, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said.

The talks between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, come amid a thaw in trade tensions

“Met Mr. Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of China, on the sidelines of the #WTOMC14. Exchanged views on the MC-14 agenda and discussed bilateral trade matters,” Goyal said in a post on X on Thursday.

This is the first time since New Delhi backed out of the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations in 2019 that the trade ministers of both sides held discussions.

Met Mr. Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of China, on the sidelines of the #WTOMC14.

Exchanged views on the MC-14 agenda and discussed bilateral trade matters. pic.twitter.com/Rw613FCzfn

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) March 27, 2026

Goyal said he discussed ways to expand trade and generate trust to facilitate bilateral trade with his Chinese counterpart.

The talks were aimed at providing greater opportunity for India’s pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, fish, and farm product exporters, he added.

Wang welcomed India’s active participation in initiatives such as the ‘Big Market for All: Export to China’, and encouraged New Delhi to make use of platforms, including the China International Import Expo and the China-South Asia Expo to expand exports.

India’s trade deficit with China surpassed $100 billion for the first time during the period of April-February.

The country’s exports to China increased nearly 38% to $17.5 billion, but imports also rose 15% to reach $119.55 billion.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

After the meeting on Thursday, Modi said the sides had discussed mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, fertilizers, connectivity, and people-to-people ties between India and Russia.

The South Asian nation, which is the world’s second largest fertilizer importer, is looking to boost fertilizer imports from Russia, Belarus, and Morocco as a supply crunch looms due to the Middle East conflict.

The Middle East accounts for about half of India’s fertilizer imports, while Saudi Arabia is its largest diammonium phosphate (DAP) provider and Oman the biggest urea supplier.

Modi and Manturov also discussed the implementation of the outcomes of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

“Welcomed the sustained efforts from both sides to implement the outcomes of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit held during President [Vladimir] Putin’s visit to India last December,” Modi said in a post on X.

🇷🇺🇮🇳 On April 2, #Russia’s First Deputy PM Denis Manturov paid a working visit to #India, during which he was received by PM @narendramodi.

Meetings were also held with EAM @DrSJaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval & Finance Minister @nsitharaman.

👉🏻 https://t.co/Pa37FHt39y#RussiaIndia https://t.co/ISifLrOt0v pic.twitter.com/w1MDwknwfv

— Russia in India 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbIndia) April 2, 2026

Manturov, who is co-chair of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), also held talks with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

The visit assumes significance as New Delhi prepares to host a BRICS summit in September. President Putin is likely to travel to participate in the summit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said earlier this week.

Manturov is also reportedly laying the groundwork for Modi’s proposed visit to Moscow later this year, as indicated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last month.

The people of India’s union territory of Jammu and Kashmir see Russia as a counterbalance to the hegemony of Western nations, lawmaker Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has told RT India.

Mehdi said those emotionally affected by the war on Iran, expect Russia to take a line or stand that would be helpful to Tehran. 

“Because at the end of the day, Russia is a power globally which we see as a counterbalancing factor against this hegemony,” Mehdi said in the latest episode of India, Russia, and the World with Runjhun Sharma. “Russia will not let their friends be alone in this fight for survival and fight for their existence.” 

He added that those with such a line of thought “would preferably see Russia playing a pro-active role in this conflict.” 

The politician termed India’s lack of mediation in the conflict “a lost opportunity” as the country is “better suited and was closer to Iran.” He added, “Pakistan is being seen as a potential negotiator in this neighborhood, mind you, where India is a prominent country.” 

The West has no moral authority to talk about killing. “If that is to be taken as an argument, what about the genocide that was carried out in Gaza very recently. More than 70,000 people were killed,” he said. He also pointed out that the US is the only country that has used a nuclear bomb and killed hundreds of thousands.

Mehdi said Ayatollah Khamenei’s martyrdom has been a blessing for the unity of Ummah or the Muslim society. It is for the people of Iran to judge if their government has oppressed its people, Mehdi, who is also a Shia cleric, added.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has arrived on a two-day state visit to India as New Delhi prepares to host a BRICS summit in September.

President Vladimir Putin is likely to participate in the BRICS summit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko Andrey Yurevich said on Wednesday.

Manturov’s visit is expected to initiate the groundwork for the BRICS summit and for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow later this year.

Manturov is scheduled to hold talks with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. He is also due to meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Russian minister’s visit, accompanied by a defense delegation, also assumes significance as India and Russia are boosting collaboration in the defense sector.

In March, India approved proposals to buy defense equipment worth $25 billion, including Russian‑made S‑400 air defense missile systems, as well as various types of aircraft and artillery systems, as part of a rapid military modernization drive.

The S-400 systems demonstrated their capabilities during the brief military standoff between India and Pakistan in 2025.

Manturov’s visit is also expected to kickstart talks to lay the broad contours of a potential visit by Modi to Russia later this year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last month that Modi is slated to visit the country for his annual summit with Putin.

US tech giant Oracle has laid off 12,000 employees in India, the PTI news agency has reported. Globally, the company has cut around 30,000 employees, according to media reports.

Oracle employs about 30,000 people in India, including those affected by the present round of layoffs.

The impacted workers told the Moneycontrol website that another round of job cuts is likely within a month.

Oracle informed the affected employees about organizational changes in an email sent at 6 AM, stating that “a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant,” according to Moneycontrol.

The company has reportedly offered 15 days’ salary for each completed year of service for the fired employees in India. It has also offered leave encashment, gratuity based on eligibility, and pay for a one-month notice period, apart from a two-month salary as a top-up for laid-off employees.

The development comes as Oracle increases capital expenditure to build data center infrastructure capable of handling artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.

A 2025 report by the Indian government think tank NITI Aayog estimates that up to 20% of jobs in IT services and call centers in India could be impacted by automation by 2031.

A Citrini Research report titled ‘The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis’ estimated that by 2028, India’s IT services industry could slow down dramatically as clients shift to AI coding agents at significantly lower costs.

India’s largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), laid off around 12,000 employees, representing roughly 2% of its global workforce in 2025. Nearly 700 Amazon employees in India lost their jobs in January as part of a restructuring process. Microsoft cut around 15,000 jobs globally in 2025.

India has hiked aviation fuel prices for international flights amid a surge in oil prices globally due to the Middle East conflict.

Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices have more than doubled to a record $2,220.45 per kiloliter, according to India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

ATF prices in India were deregulated in 2001 and are revised on a monthly basis, based on a formula involving international benchmarks.

“Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and extraordinary situation in global energy markets, the price of ATF for domestic markets was expected to increase by more than 100% on April 1,” the ministry said.

ATF prices in India were deregulated in 2001 and are revised on monthly basis based on a formula of international benchmarks. Due to the closure of Strait of Hormuz and extraordinary situation in global energy markets, price of ATF for domestic markets was expected to increase by…

— Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas #MoPNG (@PetroleumMin) April 1, 2026

To insulate domestic travel costs from the substantial increase in international prices, state-backed oil companies have passed on a partial and staggered increase of 25% ($0.16 per liter) to airlines operating domestic flights.

Other carriers, including charter operators, will pay the full market rate. For them, prices have risen by $1,187.49 per kiloliter, or 114.5%, to $2,224.11 per kiloliter, the statement said.

This is the first time ATF prices in India have crossed the $2,145.36 per kiloliter mark. The previous high was recorded in 2022, when rates climbed to around $1,179.95 per kiloliter following the Ukraine conflict.

The federal government also hiked commercial natural gas prices by $2.09 per 19-kg cylinder in line with global trends.

However, domestic natural gas, gasoline, and diesel prices remained unchanged.

State-backed fuel retailers Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum normally revise ATF and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) prices on the first day of every month based on international benchmarks and exchange rates.

Russia and India should boost their collaboration on energy security to support the Global South’s requirements, foreign affairs expert Robindra Nath Sachdev has told RT India.

US President Donald Trump has urged allies facing high fuel prices to get their “own oil” from the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Restoring free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is not among Washington’s military objectives, and it expects other nations to tackle the issue, US officials have said.

“The way I take a message from this entire crisis is that India should wake up and should get real. We depend upon imported crude oil, imported energy, imported LPG, and imported coal – even for our electric plants,” Sachdev told RT India.

He said there was a need for great cooperation between Russia and India.

“India should fast-track its thorium program. I mean, on the entire spectrum of energy, let us see where we are. Let’s get real,” he said.

India’s organic energy capacity should be boosted, he added.

“We have the world’s largest reserves of thorium. We have the most advanced technology program in Thorium. We’ve not been able to convert it into industrial grade so far,” he said, blaming bureaucratic and scientific delays.

Sachdev said India and Russia could collaborate and develop the technology.

This can be bundled for India’s energy security, he said, adding, “this bundle of technology and raw material can be sold, provided to the countries of the Global South.”

India can avoid geopolitical and supply chain risks by shifting to a thorium-based cycle to fuel its nuclear reactors, analysts have said.

This would pave the way for the Global South to get genuine energy security from a balanced source like India, Sachdev said.

He added that it’s time for the rest of the world to wake up, diversify, and not be dependent on just one source of energy.

India’s Ministry of Defense last week signed a contract worth 4.5 billion Indian rupees ($46 million) with Russia’s state-owned Rosoboronexport for the procurement of the Tunguska air defense missile system for the Indian Army. These cutting-edge missiles will enhance India’s multi-layered air defense capabilities against aerial threats including aircraft drones and cruise missiles. The agreement will further strengthen the Indo-Russian strategic defense partnership.

Meanwhile, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday cleared a proposal to procure five additional S-400 long range surface-to-air missile systems for the Indian Air Force from Russia, months after the S-400 systems demonstrated their outstanding capabilities during Operation Sindoor, the short but instance military standoff between India and Pakistan in May 2025. 

AD systems in modern wars

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have re-emphasized the importance of potent Air Defense (AD) systems. These are critical, multi-layered, and technology-driven frameworks that play a decisive role in modern warfare by protecting assets, denying enemy air superiority, and facilitating offensive operations. Modern AD systems have transitioned from purely defensive tools to strategic enablers.

As part of the “layered defense strategy,” modern AD systems (S-400, Patriot, and Iron Dome) combine long-range, medium-range, and short-range radars and missiles to protect high-value targets, cities, command and control centers, military assets, and nuclear sites against varied threats. In addition to combat aircraft and missiles, AD systems are essential for detecting and destroying small, inexpensive drones, which are used to saturate, deceive, and damage defenses as part of the counter-drone capabilities.

Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) has thus become an important mission for air operations. The modern AD systems have to adapt to engage emerging threats such as high-speed ballistic missiles, ultra-low flying cruise missiles and hypersonic threats. Modern AD is also integrated with Electronic Warfare (EW) systems that can jam or blind enemy sensors and guidance, providing a “soft-kill” alternative to physical destruction.

Mobility is important to enable “Shoot and Scoot” capability by allowing them to change positions rapidly to avoid detection. Possessing a robust AD shield acts as a major deterrent and gives nations a stronger hand during diplomatic and military crises. Modern AD operates within an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) ecosystem, also called the “system of systems” that connects radars, satellites, weapon platforms, and in-flight weapons, to provide a real-time, comprehensive air picture. Future development focuses on Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) to counteract the high cost of interceptor missiles, with some systems potentially costing as little as $2,000 per shot.

Countries are investing in domestic AD technologies (India’s Akash and Kusha AD Systems) to reduce dependence on foreign imports and ensure the ability to produce systems at scale. In contemporary combat, AD systems determine the ability of a military to operate and survive. As seen in recent conflicts, the ability to protect key assets and deny the airspace to an adversary is often the deciding factor in war.

Highly efficient solution

The 2K22 Tunguska (NATO: SA-19 Grison) is a Soviet-era tracked, self-propelled, anti-aircraft system that combines guns and missiles for short-range air defense (SHORAD). It is a unique hybrid platform that combines both surface-to-air missiles (9M311, 10 km range) and high-speed anti-aircraft twin 30 mm auto-cannons for close-in defense, firing up to 5,000 rounds per minute, effective from 200m to 4km against air targets. The single chassis provides comprehensive protection. Its 360-degree radar can detect threats up to 18 km away, along with a digital fire control system for high precision.

The missile component can strike targets at altitudes of up to 3,500 meters, filling the gap between man-portable systems and long-range high-altitude batteries. All-terrain tracked armored chassis, allows it to keep pace with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles across rugged terrain and in diverse weather conditions. The system includes back-up optical tracking capabilities, allowing engaging targets even if the radar is being jammed by enemy electronic warfare.

As modern warfare shifts toward drone-heavy tactics, for India, Tunguska’s rapid-fire guns provided a cost-effective and highly efficient solution to swarm threats. It will strengthen India’s multi-layered air defense network, acting as a vital shield for mobile army columns that are vulnerable to sudden aerial strikes.

Potent deterrent: S-400 ‘Sudarshan Chakra’

The S-400 is a Russian mobile SAM system, developed in the 1990s by Russia’s NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S-300 family of missiles, joined the Russian armed forces in 2007. The system is complemented by its successor, the S-500.

The system has four radars and four sets of missiles covering different ranges. The maximum target detection range is 600 kilometers and targets can be engaged as far as 400 kilometers. The five batteries of S-400 contracted by India in 2018 cost $5.43 billion, including with reserve missiles.

The system's ground mobility speed is close to 60 km/h on roads and 25 km/h cross-country. It takes five minutes to be operational and fire when ordered while driving. Otherwise system response time is just 10 seconds. Time between major overhauls is 10,000 hours. Its service life is at least 20 years.

In Russia the system was made operational around Moscow in 2007. Russia reportedly deployed the S-400 in Syria. The system has been widely used in the on-going conflict in Ukraine, and there are claims it has shot-down many aircraft. Meanwhile Ukraine has reportedly used Western weapons, mainly US-made ATACMS missiles, to hit S-400 units on the ground.

Belarus has unspecified numbers of S-400 units. Deliveries to China, of the six batteries ordered began in in January 2018. Four batteries consisting of 36 fire units and 192 or more missiles were delivered to Turkey. Algeria is another operator. Some other countries like Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Serbia have also shown interest. South Korea is developing the KM-SAM, a medium-range SAM system based on technology from S-400 missiles, with assistance from NPO Almaz.

India took deliveries despite the American threat of invoking CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). The recent conflict has revealed the rough location of two systems, one each being in Punjab and Gujarat. As per open sources, the third is somewhere in the east. The systems have been tested in various Indian military exercises.

At the 16th L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru in August 2025, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh lauded the S-400 air defense system as a potent deterrent. The S-400’s lethality, and the accuracy of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were a game changer in Operation Sindoor. He highlighted the system’s operational success, strategic value in protecting Indian airspace, and contribution to maintaining an edge in regional air security. Despite geo-political challenges, the Indian Air Force had maintained interest in acquiring additional S-400 systems to further strengthen air defense. Clearly the side with better air defense systems could inflict significant damage and deter the adversary from carrying out strikes.

For a long time, the Indian Air Force’s strategy, tactics and therefore inventories have been designed for offensive-defense. During Operation Sindoor, nearly five Pakistani fighter aircraft were reportedly shot down by the Indian S-400. Interestingly, the S-400 achieved its farthest kill ever by destroying a High Value Air Asset (HVAA) at reportedly 314 kilometers. These were over and above the aircraft destroyed during airfield strikes, Air Chief had said.

During its retaliatory strikes on Indian military targets, Pakistan claimed that two S-400 systems at Adampur and Bhuj were neutralized. International media acknowledged that all such claims were false. It was later revealed that after firing their missiles the S-400 elements were moved as a standard tactic. Immediately after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Adampur and addressed the personnel with the S-400 launcher in the background. A similar visit was made by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to Bhuj.

Several systems got universal praise during the conflict with Pakistan. These included the S-400 AD System, India’s indigenous Akash AD system, the DRDO 4D (Drone, Detect, Deter, Destroy) counter-drone system, and the BrahMos anti-surface missiles. French Scalp missile also proved extremely accurate and destructive.

Why India needs more S-400s

India is a continent-sized country, with a total geographical area of approximately 3.287 million square kilometers. India has a total land border of approximately 15,200 km, bordering seven nations. The total coastline measures 7,516 km. India is among the most threatened nations, with serious boundary disputes with two nuclear-armed neighbors. India has had military conflicts with both. A much smaller country, Israel (land area 20,770 square kilometers) has around 10 mobile “Iron Dome” defense batteries.

Thus India’s decision to obtain five additional S-400 systems make imminent sense. In the long run India will require close to 20 such systems. These will be achieved by inducting the indigenous “Kusha” AD system which will be of S-400 and later S-500 class.

More avenues

Aerospace has become the primary domain in modern warfare, and this reality dovetails with the depth of India–Russia defense ties. Nearly 60% of Indian Air Force aircraft are of Russian origin, and Russian platforms and weapons have served India for decades, starting with the MiG‑21s of the 1960s. More recently, the S‑400 and the Su‑30MKI–BrahMos combination have performed strongly in Operation Sindoor, underscoring the continued relevance of this partnership.

Against this backdrop, several logical avenues for future cooperation suggest themselves: higher‑tier air and missile defense systems such as the S‑500; potential participation in fifth‑generation fighter programs like the Su‑57 under a Make in India framework; and deeper collaboration on undersea deterrence, including support for India’s nuclear submarine ambitions. There is also scope for co‑development of long‑range air‑to‑air and air‑to‑surface missiles – building on systems such as the R‑37M – comprehensive upgrades of the Su‑30MKI fleet, and joint ventures in loitering munitions and kamikaze drones, where both sides face large-scale requirements and India can contribute industrial capacity.

In an era where control of the air and near‑space is increasingly decisive, India and Russia have both the legacy and the technological base to move their aerospace partnership into new, more advanced domains.

Moscow has announced several high-level engagements with New Delhi in the coming weeks as tensions in the Middle East continue to squeeze energy supplies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov will visit India, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said following Russian‑Indian inter‑ministerial consultations in New Delhi on Tuesday.

While the dates for Manturov’s visit are not clear, Lavrov will be in the Indian capital on May 14-15, where he will participate in the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting.

Tehran has formally requested that New Delhi use its BRICS chair to call for a consensus on the US-Israel war on Iran.
Iran and the UAE, both full members of BRICS, no longer have diplomatic relations.

Sergey Lavrov to Visit New Delhi for BRICS Meeting in May

The Russian Foreign Minister will be in the Indian capital on May 14-15 to participate in the meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers.

Lavrov's participation was confirmed by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko… pic.twitter.com/Mv6QYC3grs

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 31, 2026

India has increased its purchases of Russian oil since US President Donald Trump temporarily waived sanctions on crude from Russia. “Our Indian friends really consider this period, which began on March 12, as an opportunity to replenish those reserves [of energy resources] that have been depleted,” Rudenko said, according to TASS. “We are talking about spot supplies, on ships that set sail before March 12. Oil is sold at the market price.”

India scaled back purchases late last year under pressure from Washington, turning instead to Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Much of this Middle Eastern oil subsequently became trapped in the Persian Gulf after the US and Israel started their war against Iran, squeezing availability and pushing Brent crude prices to as high as $120 per barrel earlier this month.

New Delhi is now importing around 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil per day, a 50% increase from February.

India and Russia are also discussing the resumption of the direct sales of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first time since the Ukraine conflict escalated. 
 

India has decided to relax kerosene safety and distribution rules in an attempt to deal with a shortage of natural gas affecting several parts of the country.

The measures, that will be in place for 60 days, will allow for the sale of kerosene at select filling stations in 21 states and union territories, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said on Sunday.

The move is aimed at speeding up storage, movement and last-mile delivery, as many parts of India face disruptions in energy supplies on account of the crisis in the Middle East.

”Amid the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India is maintaining continuous oversight and implementing appropriate preparedness and response measures to ensure stability across key sectors,” the ministry said in a statement. “Efforts remain focused on sustaining uninterrupted energy supplies, safeguarding maritime operations, and extending necessary assistance to Indian nationals in the region.”

The South Asian nation is now discussing the resumption of direct purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia for the first time since the Ukraine conflict escalated. 

Last week, New Delhi said it had enough fuel stocks to cover the country’s need for at least 60 days.

India, the world’s fourth largest refiner and fifth largest exporter of petroleum products, is supplying refined fuel to over 150 countries, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said.

On Saturday, India supplied 38,000 metric tons of fuel to Sri Lanka, after the island nation’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made a special request to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The consignment includes 20,000 tons of diesel and 18,000 tons of gasoline.

For the first time in modern Russian cinema, Russian producers, in partnership with the Indian and international film industry, have completed a major cross-border project: The musical comedy ‘Persimmon of My Love’. The film is set to be released in Russia next week.

The movie was filmed entirely in India, using the infrastructure of Indian cities and the full production capabilities of Bollywood. More than 350 Indian and international crew members worked on set every day, with up to 1,000 people appearing on screen together, in keeping with the visual spectacle traditionally associated with Bollywood, the producers said in a statement.

They noted that the project is especially significant against the backdrop of expanding cultural and economic cooperation between Russia and India, as well as broader collaboration among BRICS partners.

The film was produced by TNT TV and MyWayStudio, with support from the Russian Cinema Fund and the involvement of Indian partners. Well-known Russian film and television actors Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan star as brothers Ramash and Shamar. The cast also includes popular Russian actors such as Adila Ragimova, Albina Kabalina, Artur Vakha, and Sergey Rost.

🎬 ‘Bollywood Dreams Realised’: Actress Adila Ragimova Calls ‘Pyaar’ the Most Important Word After 🇷🇺-🇮🇳 Film Collaboration ‘Persimmon of My Love’

The musical comedy premieres in Moscow on April 1. https://t.co/UIMXQhYJxe pic.twitter.com/bqmSS9JOim

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 27, 2026

“Russia and India have developed a strong partnership for decades, and culture has always played an important role in that relationship. We started working in India with an international team long before cooperation between our countries became a global trend,” Tina Kandelaki, the director of TNT TV, said. “This film shows how organically the creative traditions of the two countries can merge: Bollywood's emotions and music and the Russian drama school.”

Filming took place in Mumbai, the hub of the Bollywood industry, and in the historic cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan, showcasing India’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

“As you can see, it’s a beautiful, vibrant and well-made film. And I believe that it’s a leap into a new wave of friendship, both in the realm of culture and between nations,” she added.

The Indian government on Friday approved proposals to buy defense equipment worth $25 billion, including Russian‑made S‑400 air defense missile systems, various types of aircraft, and artillery systems, as part of a rapid military modernization drive.

The procurement proposals were cleared by the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), the Defense Ministry's highest decision‑making body on military purchases, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

An official statement from the ministry said the approvals include additional Russian S‑400 Triumph systems, transport aircraft to replace the country’s ageing fleet of Soviet‑era An‑32 and Il‑76 planes, and various artillery systems. The procurements also cover armor‑piercing tank ammunition, gun systems and aerial surveillance systems for the army, life‑extension upgrades for Su‑30 fighter jets operated by the air force, and hovercraft for the coastguard, the ministry said.

Separately, the ministry signed a 4.45‑billion‑rupee ($47 million) contract on Friday with Russia’s military exporter, Rosoboronexport, to acquire Tunguska air defense missile systems for the army.

In total, India has approved 55 proposals worth 6.73 trillion rupees ($71 billion) and signed contracts for another 503 proposals amounting to 2.28 trillion rupees in the fiscal year ending March 31, the statement said, adding that both figures are the highest in a single financial year.

India is the world’s fifth‑largest military spender and the second‑largest arms importer after Ukraine, according to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Over 60% of Indian weaponry is of Soviet or Russian origin, although the country has been actively seeking technologies and equipment from a wider range of suppliers, including France, the US, Israel, and Germany, while also increasing the share of domestically developed and produced systems.

What began as a conflict centered on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and regional power balance has rapidly transformed the strategic geography of global trade and energy flows. For Africa, the consequences could be profound as the crisis risks exacerbating existing rivalries along the Red Sea basin while simultaneously exposing African nations to economic shocks and geopolitical pressures. From the impact of soaring oil prices to disruptions in trade flows and shipping costs, the continent may once again confront the spillover effects of a crisis originating outside its borders.

One of the most consequential outcomes for Africa would be the renewed centrality of the Red Sea. With Iran effectively controlling the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, attention has now shifted westward toward the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which are emerging as indispensable corridors for global shipping.

The US on Thursday warned that the Houthis (Ansar Allah movement) could start firing on vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after Tehran raised the possibility of extending barriers to global shipping during the ongoing war. The US statement appeared after Iran’s Tasnim News Agency cited sources warning of the potential opening of a new “front” in the war in response to the Trump administration moving troops into the region.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Houthis, stated on Thursday that the movement could initiate participation in the conflict, depending on developments in the military situation. In a televised address, he emphasized that the movement has never hesitated to fulfill what he described as its Islamic duty in jihad against the United States and Israel, calling for support of Iran through various means.

Port diplomacy

The Red Sea was already an arena of geopolitical competition even before the Iranian crisis erupted. Over the past decade, rivalries among regional powers, especially between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have transformed the region into a theater of competition.

A central instrument of the UAE’s strategy has been port diplomacy led by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World.

However, in recent years the UAE’s port diplomacy has hit several hurdles. For example, since 2018, Djibouti and DP World have been engaged in a standoff over the termination of the concession for the Doraleh container terminal. A London arbitration court recently ruled in favor of Djibouti, rejecting DP World’s claims for compensation.

The Red Sea’s importance is also reinforced by the dense concentration of military installations along its shores. Four African states, namely Egypt, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Sudan, border the Red Sea, and their ports have become focal points for external military presence. Djibouti alone hosts multiple foreign naval bases, including those of the US, France, Japan, and China. Beijing established its first overseas naval facility in Djibouti in 2017, underscoring the country’s strategic role at the entrance of the Red Sea.

Connectivity and regional security were also at the fore when, in December 2025, Israel decided to recognize the de facto sovereign country of Somaliland. While the ethical and legal implications of such recognition remain debated, Israel’s motivations appear strongly linked to maritime security. Israel is certainly interested in safeguarding the passage of the ships carrying goods to and from its ports through this channel.

Reports of possible Israeli plans to establish a military installation near Berbera further illustrate the strategic stakes. Such a move would likely intensify regional tensions, potentially opening another front in the already complex politics of the Horn of Africa. It could also deepen divisions between actors supporting Somaliland’s independence and those advocating Somalia’s territorial unity.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has received extensive financial, military, and other support from Tehran over decades, and described the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the supreme leader of Iran as “a new victory for the Islamic Revolution.” Despite suffering recent military setbacks, the group possesses drones, mines, artillery, and anti-ship missiles capable of disrupting vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

There are also concerns about potential cooperation between the Houthis and the Somali militant group al-Shabaab. Since 2024, the two organizations have reportedly collaborated in areas such as weapons smuggling, technical training, and logistical support. While the Houthis do not exercise direct command over al-Shabaab, the Somali group has previously indicated its willingness to expand piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden in exchange for Houthi backing. Such cooperation could dramatically increase risks for commercial shipping across the wider Red Sea region.

So far, the Houthis have refrained from launching major new attacks since the Iran crisis began, although they have warned that their “fingers are on the trigger.” The possibility of renewed hostilities remains significant. Even limited attacks could significantly raise insurance premiums and shipping costs, further destabilizing global supply chains.

Fragile security

In the coming months, two broad scenarios appear plausible. In the first, escalation in the Iran crisis triggers a cascade of regional confrontations involving state and non-state actors across the Gulf and the Red Sea. Such a development would severely disrupt maritime traffic and global oil flows. In the absence of Hormuz functioning normally, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea would become the only viable alternative corridor for energy exports, placing enormous pressure on an already fragile security environment.

The second scenario involves a temporary cooling-off period, during which regional and global actors prioritize safeguarding maritime commerce despite their broader political rivalries. In this case, the Red Sea could become an arena of pragmatic cooperation aimed at ensuring the free flow of shipping through Bab el-Mandeb and toward the Suez Canal.

Regardless of which trajectory emerges, the Red Sea is unlikely to grow calmer. Instead, the region may get divided into two or more opposing groups based on their vested interests. The Iran crisis has produced an unintended geopolitical outcome by shifting the center of maritime gravity westward. By destabilizing the Strait of Hormuz and threatening Gulf shipping lanes, the conflict has elevated the Red Sea from a secondary theater to a critical axis of global trade and strategic competition.

The real question, therefore, is not whether the Iran crisis will reshape the Red Sea region as the effects are already visible, but how intense and how prolonged this transformation will ultimately be.

The war against Iran unleashed by the US is not going according to Washington’s plan, a noted Indian journalist has said.

Misreading the mindset of Iranians has been the US' biggest miscalculation, Suhasini Haider, the diplomatic editor of The Hindu, aruged in the new episode of ‘India, Russia and The World with Runjhun Sharma’ show.

“The broader message [of the pause on attacks], I would say, from what Trump is saying is that the first three weeks of the war have not gone as planned,” she said in a conversation with RT’s Runjhun Sharma. 

“After giving a deadline of 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz or face a bombardment of your energy facilities, he’s buying time for whatever the US’ eventual purpose is,” she said. “If in three weeks of bombardment you have been able to decimate some part of the Iranian leadership, but not change the kind of Iranian behavior… then are you going to succeed in a few more weeks of that.” 

“I think where they [the US] have misunderstood or miscalculated is the culture [of Iran],” the journalist said. 

Haider believes the US expected an uprising as soon as the Iranian leadership was removed. Washington also thought Iran would “would never go through” with the threat it made last year to blockade the Strait of Hormuz “because of the huge cost it would have, not just on other countries and friends of Iran, but on Iran itself,” according to Haider.

The US, which had always underpinned the global rules-based order, is now its biggest violator, she noted. 

Haider said that India has always stood for strong bilateral ties with all nations in the Middle East but now it must secure its food, fuel, and fertilizer security.

India and Russia are discussing the resumption of direct sales of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first time since the Ukraine conflict escalated, Reuters has reported.

A “verbal agreement” to negotiate an LNG deal was arrived at during a March 19 meeting between Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in Delhi, according to the news outlet.

If India decides to go ahead with the deal, it will risk violating Western sanctions on Russian oil.

The development comes amid surging energy prices triggered by the Middle East conflict and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.

The ministerial-level discussion also agreed to further increase crude oil sales to India, which could double from January’s levels to at least 40% of India’s total imports in about a month, the report said.

Officials in New Delhi expect the US waiver to be extended as long as disruptions through the Strait persist, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

New Delhi emerged as a key market for Russian oil after the Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022. It bought almost 2 million barrels a day in 2024 and nearly $44 billion of crude from Moscow last year.

India scaled back purchases late last year under pressure from Washington, turning instead to Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Much of this Middle Eastern oil subsequently became trapped in the Persian Gulf after the outbreak of the Iran war, squeezing availability and pushing Brent crude prices to as high as $120 a barrel earlier this month.

The South Asian nation imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. Around half of its crude oil and LNG shipments are routed through the Strait of Hormuz.

India has adequate fuel stocks to cover the country’s needs for 60 days, the government has said.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has urged citizens not to be misled by media reports that the South Asian nation is facing depleting oil reserves.

There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG in the country, the Oil Ministry said on Thursday, terming the reports “a deliberately mischievous, coordinated campaign of misinformation that is being carried out to spread unjustified panic.”

“When the rest of the world has been taking drastic fuel conservation measures such as odd-even, four-day work weeks, school and office closures and increasing fuel prices by 20-30%...India remains an oasis of energy security,” Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in an X post on Friday.

India, the world’s fourth largest refiner and fifth largest exporter of petroleum products, is supplying refined fuel to over 150 countries, the ministry said.

🚨Some posts circulating on social media claim that India has 'only 9 days of oil reserves left'.#PIBFactCheck:

❌This claim is #misleading!

✅ India has a total reserve capacity of 74 days, with the current stock cover at around 60 days. This includes crude oil, petroleum… pic.twitter.com/12O5JIwU1I

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 27, 2026

The official Press Information Bureau’s Factcheck division posted on X that the country has a reserve capacity of 74 days and stock cover of two months.

“All 1 lakh [100,000]-plus retail fuel outlets across the country are open and dispensing fuel without interruption. Not a single outlet has been asked to ration supply,” the Oil Ministry said in a release.

New Delhi has invoked special legislation to speed up gas pipeline projects and to ensure domestic cooking gas supplies for its 1.4 billion population amid the Middle East conflict.

The US-Israeli war against Iran has virtually halted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Around 40% of India’s crude oil imports and 55% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments pass through the strait, which is controlled by Iran.

Iran has permitted the passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz, its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said.

India is planning to place a large order for BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, ANI has reported.

The Indian Army is looking to add a long-range variant to its arsenal, the news agency reported, quoting Defense Ministry officials.

The Defense Ministry is expected to approve the Indian Army’s proposed purchase of the missiles at a meeting to be held soon, according to ANI.

BrahMos is jointly developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya rocket design bureau, which produces Oniks missiles.

The missile can be launched from ships, submarines, land, and air-based missile systems.

Earlier this month, Indonesia inked a deal to buy BrahMos missiles.

The next phase of the BrahMos project could involve the joint development of a missile system based on Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile.

India has emerged as the world’s second-largest importer of weapons, accounting for 8.3% of global arms shipments from 2021-2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

New Delhi has traditionally relied heavily on Moscow for equipment and technology.

India and Russia have hinted at new projects that would entail technology transfers for aviation, naval, and missile platforms as India pushes to boost domestic manufacturing under its ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Russia is preparing to offer India additional capabilities to bolster the country’s strategic air defense posture, a source has told RT. The proposal could include Russian Pantsir short-range air defense systems, designed to help protect key military and strategic sites from mass attacks.

The package, the sources said, would complement India’s existing air defense network, which already includes Russian-supplied systems as well as domestically developed platforms.

“Russia is ready to offer India the supply of Pantsir‑S1M surface‑to‑air missile and gun systems in order to provide effective protection for the country’s existing long‑range S‑400 Triumph systems,” a source close to the discussions told RT.

The Pantsir‑S1M can effectively engage all types of aerodynamic targets, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the source added.

The development comes after Russia’s High Precision Systems holding company announced it had delivered a batch of Pantsir‑S air defense combat vehicles to the Russian Defense Ministry, following successful trials and formal acceptance.

In a March 20 press release, the company said the systems were supplied under a state defense order and described the Pantsir as “one of the key elements protecting Russia’s skies,” noting that it has demonstrated high effectiveness. The statement also said the Pantsir system has intercepted cruise missiles such as Storm Shadow and Flamingo, as well as ATACMS ballistic missiles.

The US is currently not ready for a land invasion of Iran, former Indian external spy agency chief A.S. Dulat has told RT India.

In an interview with former Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, Dulat, who once headed India’s external intelligence agency – the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) – said a ground invasion would be a hard sell for the American public.

“But once you put boots on the ground, that means you must be prepared for body bags to come back, and that the Americans would not like,” Dulat said in an episode of RT India’s In Conversation program.

He added that the CIA could have tipped off Israel’s Mossad and played a big part in the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the end of February. Dulat, who has been a columnist with RT (https://www.rt.com/op-ed/authors/amarjit-singh-dulat/), said his assessment was based on intelligence inputs.

Dulat said the leader who will emerge the “strongest or the tallest out of the Middle East [crisis] is [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin.”

The former Indian spy chief said the Iranians were “preparing for a long haul,” adding that “Khamenei had prepared a whole list of successors not only for after him, but for various posts who should be appointed after him.”

Dulat believes the US has always underestimated Iran, and referred to a visit by Henry Kissinger to India in 2005. “I was then a member of the NSA (National Security Agency) here and he [Kissinger] said that if Iran doesn’t behave, it’ll be blown off the face of the earth. Now it has been 21 years.”

He described the Russia-China axis as a powerful one developed over the last couple of years. “The Russians and the Chinese are very much with Iran, there’s no doubt,” Dulat said.

On the possibility of a ceasefire or an end to the war, he said, “Some concession, even if it’s cosmetic, will have to be made for Iran.”

Iran has permitted the passage of Indian and Russian ships through the Strait of Hormuz, its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said.

In an X post quoting Araghchi, the Iranian consulate in Mumbai listed India, along with China, Russia, Iraq, and Pakistan as “friendly nations” permitted passage through the choke point.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic transit route for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies, and disruption of shipping traffic has already triggered a surge in prices of commodities globally.

In an earlier post by Iran’s mission to the UN on Tuesday, Tehran had put a condition on countries seeking safe passage through the strait.

Non-hostile vessels, including those belonging to or associated with other States, may—provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran and fully comply with the declared safety and security regulations—benefit from safe passage through the…

— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) March 24, 2026

“Non-hostile vessels, including those belonging to or associated with other States, may – provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran,” it said.

The nations should also fully comply with the declared safety and security regulations in coordination with the Iranian authorities, it added.

New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of its oil supplies and 55% of its LNG shipments pass through the Strait.

India has outlined its position on the Middle East conflict, with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar briefing lawmakers on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to US President Donald Trump that the war should end soon, as it is hurting all stakeholders, Jaishankar said at the meeting, which was convened to apprise lawmakers about India’s diplomatic stance.

“We are not a dalaal [broker] nation,” Jaishankar told lawmakers at the Parliament complex on Wednesday, according to PTI news agency.

He dismissed comparisons to Pakistan’s role as mediator between the US and Iran, which was raised by the opposition, according to the report. Islamabad has acted as a mediator for the US to remain engaged with Tehran since 1981, Jaishankar said.

The remarks came amid reports that Pakistan has proposed hosting discussions involving senior aides from Washington and Tehran.

Trump said on Monday that the US will postpone attacks on Iranian energy facilities after “productive” talks, though Tehran has denied that it has engaged in any talks with Washington.

The proposition that Pakistan has an edge over India as a reported mediator in the US-Iran war is “misreading the situation,” former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has said.

“Pakistan is fearful that the Saudi Crown Prince may invoke the defence agreement and embroil Pakistan in the conflict with Iran,” Sibal said in an X post, claiming that Islamabad’s mediation offer is in part an act of desperation.

Residents in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory have launched a notable show of solidarity with the people of Iran as the war with the US and Israel continues.

Across the region, people are donating gold, cash, copper utensils, and other valuables, an RT India correspondent reports from the ground.

Multiple collection camps have been set up in the valley, mainly in Shia‑dominated areas, where residents of all ages – including children as young as seven – are parting with personal belongings in an unprecedented show of support.

“These donations are being made for a nation that is standing up for humanity and in defense of humanity. Our mothers, sisters, and children are offering this contribution as a tribute to that nation,” a local resident told RT India.

The Indian government has ordered that gas pipeline projects be sped up, amid a shortage of cooking gas triggered by the Middle East conflict.

The government invoked special legislation on Tuesday – the Essential Commodities Act – to mitigate delays and obstacles for setting up and expanding the natural gas infrastructure across the country.

The move comes as India moves to diversify its fuel sources amid disruptions in global energy markets triggered by the Middle East tensions.

The US-Israeli war against Iran has virtually halted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Around 40% of India’s crude oil imports and 55% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments pass through the straight, which is controlled by Iran.

With guidance of @PMOIndia and @HardeepSPuri the Natural Gas infrastructure - PNG and CNG gets major ease of doing business reforms - witness rapid expansion of CGD network across the country - a crisis turned into an opportunity @gailindia @PNGRB_ pic.twitter.com/btcnKrDt6j

— Neeraj Mittal IAS (@neerajmittalias) March 24, 2026

Supply disruptions of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas are expected to persist for a long time, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in the order. India imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas.

According to the document, the move aims to address delays in approvals and access to land. The order also envisages a framework to remove obstacles, including approval delays and high charges, speeding up pipeline construction, and expanding the use of piped natural gas. It also caps fees charged on pipeline companies for granting access and sets easier rules for land access and compensation.

The ministry said the order takes effect immediately, and aims to accelerate city gas distribution infrastructure and a gradual shift from LPG to piped natural gas.

As of March 2026, the world is experiencing heightened, interconnected conflicts across multiple regions, creating a volatile security landscape. Major escalations include the US and Israeli war against Iran, the ongoing Ukraine conflict, and simmering tensions in the Pacific.

Over 40% of strategists surveyed for Global Foresight 2025 by the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security fear “another world war, involving a multifront conflict among great powers” by the end of next decade.

In May 2025, India and Pakistan had a significant four-day military standoff. The US invaded Venezuela in early 2026 and captured President Nicolas Maduro. The Middle East conflict has expanded significantly since February 28, with US and Israeli forces heavily engaging Iran’s leadership, military, defense and energy industry, and Iran effectively targeting oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf states.

The Ukraine conflict continues with intense fighting. China continues to maintain a hardline stance on Taiwan, claiming “reunification” is inevitable. The efforts of the otherwise powerful BRICS countries to bring about global geo-political stability have been meek.

During the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, there was talk about boosting military budgets and reframing the transatlantic alliance as a NATO 3.0. It is time to analyze the global arms trends.

Arms Transfers in 2020–24

As per the fresh data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) this month, global arms transfers in 2020–24 continued to grow in volume but saw major shifts in trends.

Driven by the conflict in Ukraine, Europe’s imports surged 155%, making the countries the world’s top importers as a group. Ukraine became the world’s largest arms importing country, increasing imports in 2021–25 by 100 times compared to 2015–19 period. India remained the second-largest, despite reducing imports by 9.3%, primarily through its indigenization push. Other regional shifts included reduced imports growth in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, balancing the global total.

The US strengthened its dominance as the top exporter (43% global share), while France (9.6%) overtook Russia, where exports dropped by 64% in 2021–25.

Europe saw increased demand for air defense systems, aircraft, and missiles as nations began a fresh rearming with increasing defense budgets. The Middle East & North Africa region (MENA) accounted for over 27% of global imports, with high demand from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states. The conflict in the Middle East is expected to drive the demand further.

China dropped out of the top 10 importers, reflecting its increased self-sufficiency. The overall trend in 2020-24 indicates the market is highly reactive to security threats, favoring suppliers that can deliver high-tech systems to conflict-affected regions.

The volume of major arms transferred between states increased 9.2% between 2016–20 and 2021–25. Europe was the biggest recipient region. Besides Europe and the Americas, arms imports to all other world regions decreased.

The US increased its dominance of arms exports and supplied 42% of all international arms transfers in 2021–25, up from 36% in 2016–20. The US exported arms to 99 states, including 35 countries in Europe. For the first time in two decades, the largest share of US arms exports went to Europe (38%) rather than the Middle East (33%). Nevertheless, the top single recipient of US arms was Saudi Arabia (12%). Washington views arms exports as a tool of foreign policy and a way of strengthening its arms industry, as the Trump administration’s new America First Arms Transfer Strategy once again makes clear.

Global defense spending grew in 2025, reaching $2.63 trillion, up from $2.48 trillion in 2024. Spending also rose in real terms by 2.5%. European defense expenditure is surging, with EU member states’ budgets expected to reach roughly €390 billion in 2025, a nearly 63% rise from 2020 levels. This spending now averages over 2% of GDP, driven by geopolitical tensions and increased procurement, aimed at replenishing stocks and enhancing long-term industrial capacity.

 The US has been focusing on modernization and technological superiority. China continues rapid expansion with a focus on new technology, AI and naval advancements. Saudi Arabia maintains high spending ($72.5 billion) on regional security. Significant investments by the UK ($94 billion) and France ($70 billion) have prioritized nuclear deterrence and technology. Generally there are heavy investments in AI, cyber warfare, and drone technology. NATO continues to be under pressure from the US to meet 2%–3.5% of GDP defense spending targets.

Going ahead

Global arms exports have soared in the past five years due to European demand. While global weapons flows grew by almost 10% in the past five years, Europe’s imports more than tripled. They were not just buying in order to supply weapons to Ukraine; they were mostly seeking to boost their own military capabilities. Europe has witnessed imports of weapons at levels not seen since the Cold War, and has now emerged as the largest recipient region.

The US arms industry has been the biggest beneficiary of rising tensions across the region. Trump promised no wars and built his “America First” brand on opposing foreign military adventures. His administration, however, has effectively set in motion another regime‑change war – part of a long pattern of US interventions that have produced instability, prolonged conflict and failed state‑building. 

If the same approach is applied to Iran, the outcome is likely to be no different. The American public, for its part, has repeatedly signaled that it has had enough of “endless wars.”

China announced a 7% boost to its defense budget for 2026 as it steadily increases spending to counter the US and enforce its claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea. Japan and South Korea are both worried about rising China and have started significantly increasing defense budgets and arms production, and imports. Moving forward, there will greater arms demand in Middle East. Kuwait moved from 47th largest recipient of major arms in 2016–20 to 9th largest in 2021–25 as its arms imports increased by more than nine times.

But Trump tariffs and America’s unpredictable threats, even to its NATO allies, are forcing nations to look for alternatives and increase own defense research and arms production. This transition will take time. Will Russia or China fill the void? It is difficult to say presently.

In his 1961 farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned that the US military‑industrial complex risked gaining “unwarranted influence” over American democracy. His warning has never looked more prescient.

Two Indian-flagged tankers have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, New Delhi has said.

The Indian Shipping Ministry confirmed that the tankers, carrying more than 92,000 tons of liquified petroleum gas (LPG), had sailed through ‌the strait. Indian crew members are on board the vessels, Reuters reported.

The ministry said the vessels ⁠were expected to reach ports in India between March 26 and 28.

The tankers had loaded LPG in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait before transiting through the Iranian chokepoint, ‌although overall traffic through the critical waterway remains blocked, Reuters said.

📸 VISUALS: 🇮🇳 LPG Carrier Crosses Strait Of Hormuz

The Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, carrying 92,612.59 MT of LPG combined, have passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz, and are set to reach India's ports between 26 & 28 March. The vessels have 60 Indian seafarers onboard in… pic.twitter.com/sz8EMXbAGc

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 24, 2026

Hundreds of vessels and an estimated 20,000 crew reportedly remain stranded inside the Gulf in response to Iran’s threats to attacks vessels traversing the vital strait linking it to the Arabian Sea.

Tehran has said the passage is not blocked for friendly countries.

A vessel carrying oil products headed to India also traversed the strait on March 21, Kpler data showed.

The movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz has become highly challenging since the Middle East conflict began, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of its LNG shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, New Delhi has invoked special legislation to ensure adequate gas supplies to its 1.4 billion people.

Russia needs to step in at this opportune time to help meet India’s oil demand, a policy expert has told RT India.

Energy cooperation is the backbone of current trade between Russia and India, the General Director of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Ivan Timofeev, said in an exclusive conversation on Monday.

This is “despite the political pressure from the US and other Western countries, which are trying to preclude Russia and India from collaboration in the energy field,” he said.

Timofeev cited the 25% tariffs slapped on New Delhi by the Trump administration in August, 2025, for buying Russian oil.

He said the Middle East crisis and the war against Iran “provoke the risk of the towering deficit on the energy market and crude oil market,” adding that Russia is one player that can help India deal with the issue.

“Russia has always been a reliable partner which fulfills its commitments on stable supplies,” he added. “So, now it’s high time for Russia to play this role again and to bolster [meet] India’s demands of oil and related energy materials.” 

The expert observed that Washington’s sanctions on Moscow are still in place and temporary exemptions are not an outcome of goodwill measures from the US side but “determined by their pragmatic interests not to face the uncontrolled growth of oil prices.”

When asked about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Russia this year, he said, “we’ll, of course, try to use this opportunity to further promote our bilateral agenda fixed by [the] previous two meetings.”

“The economy will remain a major foundation of this dialogue,” Timofeev added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a landmark visit to India in December. The countries have set a target to boost annual trade from the present $68 billion to $100 billion by 2030.

The movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz has become highly challenging since the Middle East conflict began, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

A large quantity of essential items such as crude oil, gas, and fertilizers comes to India through the strait, Modi told the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, on Monday.

“Despite this, our government’s effort has been to ensure that the supply of petrol-diesel and gas is not excessively disrupted, and that ordinary families in the country face as little trouble as possible – this has been our focus,” he said.

New Delhi has invoked special legislation to ensure adequate gas supplies.

❗️PM Modi: 'Continuous Efforts' Are Being Made To Ensure Energy Crisis Has 'Minimal Adverse Impact' On India

The "fundamentals of India's economy are strong." https://t.co/KkAZPKBbEp pic.twitter.com/nuxn5GDhj4

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 23, 2026

India imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas, and about half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of liquefied natural gas shipments come through the Strait of Hormuz.

India has extensive trade relations with countries at war and affected by war, Modi said on Monday.

“The region where the war is taking place is also an important route for our trade with other countries of the world,” he added.

Modi pointed out the importance of the Middle East to India, saying, “Nearly ten million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries.”

“Among the commercial ships that sail in these seas, the number of Indian crew members is also very high. Due to these varied reasons, India’s concerns are naturally greater,” he added.

Noting that India has always raised its voice for peace in the interest of humanity, he said New Delhi believes that dialogue and diplomacy are the solutions to the problem.

“The crisis to anyone’s life in this war is not in the interest of humanity, therefore India’s effort is to encourage all parties to swiftly pursue a peaceful resolution,” the prime minister said.

Russia is the “clearest winner” in the US-Israeli war on Iran, international relations expert John Mearsheimer has said on RT’s New Order show.

Mearsheimer, professor at the University of Chicago and co-author of ‘The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy’, added that India stands to be “a big loser” from the Middle East conflict despite having good relations with all sides. 

“The clearest winner is Russia,” Mearsheimer said, referring to the waiver of sanctions on Russian oil and gas by US President Donald Trump.

On New Delhi’s diplomatic trajectory as the conflict escalates, Mearsheimer said, “The only interesting question at this point in time is how big a loser it’s [India] going to be.”

“This is all bad news for India. There’s no question that all Indians understand that this war is disastrous for India,” Mearsheimer added. New Delhi’s pain points include inflation, cost of gas, fertilizers, and food production, according to the expert.

Mearsheimer said Trump and Israel believed in a quick and decisive victory, and that the Gulf nations and countries such as India also did not see a long war. “So what happened was that India did not protest. The Gulf states did not protest,” he added.

New Delhi did not condemn the US-Israeli assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, choosing instead to later offer condolences.

He said the countries that have benefited the most from the Iran war are “clearly Russia and China, and they’re both members of BRICS. But at the same time, I think a lot of the BRICS countries are going to be badly hurt. India is one of them. Indonesia may be another.”

Mearsheimer said the end result is that the war will cause those countries to rethink their relationship with the US.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Russia this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Lavrov’s remarks came in a video address to the international conference ‘Russia and India: To the New Agenda of Bilateral Relations’.

“According to the results of the visit of President [Vladimir] Putin to New Delhi in December last year, the consonance of the strategic goals of Russia and India was confirmed, a solid package of documents was adopted,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov stressed the role of dialogue between Russia and India at the highest level.

❗️New 🇮🇳 Consulates In 🇷🇺 Will 'Further Strengthen Economic, Cultural, & Social Bonds' Between Two Nations - EAM Jaishankar https://t.co/W07MueV8wV pic.twitter.com/N7U3Wcwy1Y

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 23, 2026

Putin made a landmark tenth visit to India in December.

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who also addressed the conference on Monday, said Putin’s visit had broken new ground, covering diverse and novel areas, including the movement of skilled professionals, health and food safety, maritime cooperation, fertilizers, customs and commerce, and academic and media cooperation.

“To this effect, we must continue efforts to conclude the India-EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) FTA, address non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments, and utilize a skilled Indian workforce,” he added.

“I am confident India will find a trusted and reliable partner in Russia to help reach its energy goals,” Jaishankar stated.

Missile and drone attacks on energy hubs across the Gulf have drawn the wider US-Israeli war with Iran directly into the core of global energy routes. Within three weeks, the region has shifted from a zone of latent risk to the epicenter of heightened security concerns around energy infrastructure and commercial shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 21% of global petroleum liquids, has transformed from background anxiety to an overt risk corridor. As insurers reassess exposure and tanker activity slows, the chokepoint itself has become the flashpoint for geopolitical contagion into energy markets. 

A week into the conflict, the United States pledged naval escorts and broader supply‑side measures, however it failed to secure backing from European allies to get involved militarily. On March 19 a host of European countries, as well as Japan and Canada, had expressed their readiness to “contribute to efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”

However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters on the same day in Brussels that Berlin would only involve itself in the region after military action comes to a halt, stating, “We can and will only be able to get involved once the guns fall silent.”

Oil markets reacted swiftly, as Brent rose above $119 per barrel on March 19 before easing to about $109.85 on March 20, still leaving it nearly 7% higher for the week. More strikingly, the benchmark Middle East Dubai crude hit a record of around $166.80 per barrel, underlining how physical market tightness is now outpacing headline futures benchmarks. Analysts continue to warn that any sustained Hormuz disruption could push crude far higher. 

Even absent a full blockade, costlier freight, insurance, and rerouting are embedding a durable war premium, redefining OPEC+’s role, and especially the Saudi‑Russia axis, as guardians not just of oil prices but of the credibility of Gulf sea lane security itself.

From Facility Strikes to Flow Disruptions

Although several oil facilities and tankers have been struck during the conflict, the real market shock has come not from the widespread destruction of production capacity but from disruption to the Gulf’s entire operating ecosystem, shipping routes, insurance markets and tanker logistics. Airspace, ports, shipping insurance and tanker routing have all been drawn directly into the conflict zone.

At least  21 civil ships, including oil tankers, have reportedly been attacked or hit by projectiles in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict.

Ship tracking data shows dozens of tankers waiting inside or near the Gulf as operators avoid entering potentially dangerous waters. Since late February, queues at the Strait of Hormuz have grown as ships delay voyages or wait for clearer guidance on escorts and insurance, turning a security shock into a logistics disruption. It is reported that even if safe passage is eventually negotiated, fully reviving logistics will take far longer than many initially assumed.

War Premium Versus Spreadsheet Surplus

Before this escalation, Brent had already climbed into the low‑to‑mid $70s amid tightening balances and rising geopolitical tensions. What has changed since then is that the physical market has tightened even faster than the paper market. According to oil‑shipment tracker Petro‑Logistics, flows of crude and condensate have dropped by about 12 million bpd, roughly 12% of daily global demand, as output cuts and export halts by Gulf producers ripple through the market. That sharpens the disconnect between global supply spreadsheets and real‑world deliverability.

The headline numbers suggest the world has plenty of oil. The IEA and other forecasters expect non‑OPEC+ producers such as the United States, Canada, Brazil and Guyana to keep adding barrels, contributing to the mid‑decade surplus.  Yet roughly one fifth of global petroleum liquids and LNG still move through Hormuz. Even after emergency measures, the physical market is behaving as if accessibility, not just aggregate supply, is the real constraint. For instance, cargoes of European and African crude have climbed to around $120 per barrel, with previously discounted Russian barrels now trading back above $100, northwest European jet fuel has hit roughly $220 a barrel, while European diesel has moved beyond $200.

On paper, closing a strait that carries around 20-21 million bpd, while Saudi and Emirati pipelines can divert only about 6-8 million bpd, would still leave well over 10 million bpd effectively stranded or shut in. Once spare capacity outside the chokepoint and a realistic draw on IEA emergency stocks are considered, most scenario exercises suggest an effective net loss of around 8-10 million bpd in a prolonged crisis, rather than the full volume normally transiting the Strait of Hormuz. That is still enough to wipe out the projected 2026 surplus and to justify a substantial, structural war premium in crude benchmarks.

OPEC+ Coordination

This crisis has erupted just as OPEC+ edges away from behaving as a simple price band cartel toward a more complex role by smoothing volatility in a corridor‑constrained market.

For Riyadh and Moscow, this was less a volume adjustment than a governance signal. OPEC+ will not remain entirely passive while a war premium built on shipping risk runs away from them.

With an estimated 5-6 million bpd of spare capacity, concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, these producers sit at the center of any plausible crisis‑stabilization story. Spare capacity, once primarily a revenue instrument, is being repurposed as geopolitical capital.

Yet the limits are stark. OPEC+ cannot insure tankers or neutralize naval threats; it can only adjust theoretical availability. As mentioned above, even as allied governments moved closer to supporting Hormuz security, oil prices still rose because traders judged that the underlying market remained tight and the production damage and logistics dislocation would not be reversed quickly.

Russia’s export routes are less directly exposed to Hormuz than those of Gulf producers, which means its barrels can still play a stabilizing role in wider supply balances. In that sense, Russian flows remain part of the broader flexibility available to major Asian importers, including India. How Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia coordinate from here will determine whether OPEC+ acts primarily as a stabilizing buffer or allows elevated prices to persist.

New Geopolitical Capital

The Gulf crisis crystallizes a wider structural shift in global energy politics. The key variable is no longer marginal supply alone; it is the stability of shipping routes and the credibility of deterrence around them. The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, with flows that cannot be fully rerouted even if alternative pipelines are maximized. As long as tensions there stay elevated, a war premium can persist even without significant upstream damage. This premium is now being reinforced by physical dislocation, stranded cargoes, shipping paralysis and higher replacement costs across global crude and fuel markets.

The current Gulf crisis is therefore not an exception, but an early test of a new energy order where control over shipping routes, insurance and maritime security matters as much as control over oil fields. For producers, importers and maritime powers alike, the challenge is no longer only to produce enough oil, but to preserve the credibility of the corridors through which that oil must move.

What is emerging is not a shortage of oil, but a shortage of assured access, where the stability of movement, rather than the availability of supply, is becoming the defining variable in global energy security.

The escalating conflict in the Middle East has placed the nearly 35 million South Asian migrant workers living in the Gulf directly in the line of fire. At least 12 workers from the region have been confirmed killed so far.

From security guards at airports to delivery drivers on city streets, these workers are increasingly exposed to grave risks as the war expands into civilian residential and industrial zones. The war threatens the safety of a massive diaspora that serves as the economic backbone for millions of South Asian families.

Sitting on a sofa at Kandiwali in Mumbai, tears streaming down her face, 21‑year‑old Komal Singh, who cradles her mother’s head in her lap, is inconsolable.

All she can hold on to is her last conversation with her father, marine engineer Devanandan Prasad Singh, on the night of March 11 – just hours before he was killed when his ship caught fire off Basra, Iraq after a targeted strike.

“We spoke to him twice on March 11 at midnight. At one time, he said Tum log theek ho, main theek hoon (are you people fine, I am fine here). It was a brief conversation. But he again texted us at 2:36 AM and said the ship was on fire, that was our last contact with him,” Komal Singh, a medical student, said.

“We called and called, but there was no response. He did not reply. We tried calling the company numbers where he worked. None of them picked up, and later, one person answered and said he would call back at 9 am when the offices open. We then went to our neighbor, who is also a seafarer. He contacted his company, which told him that everyone from the ship was safe and had been rescued.”

Singh says that early in the morning of March 12, the company called back again, this time with devastating news, informing the family that her father died in the incident.

“We are heartbroken and do not know how to accept it,” Singh says, adding that her father took the voyage because her medical college fees were pending.

“We want a proper investigation into his death.”

The Indian Embassy in Iraq confirmed the US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq. While 15 crew members were evacuated, one person lost his life. “The remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place,” the mission said.

Casualties in Oman

More than 1,100 km away from Mumbai, in Agloi village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, grief hangs heavy in the air. 

At Vikram Verma’s home, people have gathered to console the family after he was killed in Oman when an Iranian drone struck an oil-related facility in Sohar on March 11. The strike killed another Indian worker and left ten more people, also Indians, wounded.

According to his relatives, Vikram had left for Oman on February 23 to work in a construction company to help his poverty-stricken family back home, but little did they know that he would be killed. “A day before his death, we spoke to him on a video call. He did talk about the tension but said he was safe,” Verma’s uncle Mahesh said. 

Vikram was supporting the education and medical expenses of his mother, who is suffering from ailments; the family had little idea that war would take him away from them.

“His death has left the family in uncertainty. We don’t know how they will carry on with the only earning hand taken away,” Mahesh said.

Another person who was killed in the incident was Pappu Singh, who lived in the nearby Lalpura village of Rajasthan. He, too, was working as a construction worker in Oman.

Indian migrant workers in the Gulf have been exposed to grave risks due to the ongoing war, which started on February 28. Indian officials say five of its citizens have been killed in the conflict so far, two in Oman, one in the UAE, one in Iraq, and one in Saudi Arabia.

There are 10 million Indian citizens living in the Middle Eastern countries, which is their largest diaspora. For their families in India, there is fear and anxiety.

“My brother works in Qatar in defense, and we are really worried about him,” Md Muneer, 32, a resident of Purnea district in Bihar, said.

‘Trapped in the nightmare’

For many workers from other South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, who had traveled to the Gulf in search of better livelihoods, the conflict which spiraled after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory attacks that have since spread across the Gulf region, is no longer distant. They and their families back home feel increasingly vulnerable.

Bangladesh has lost four workers to missile debris in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Many others have been injured in the strikes. One Pakistani national has also been killed, and many have been wounded.

Dibas Shrestha, 29, was a cheerful young man from Borlang village in Nepal’s Gorkha district. Like millions of Nepalis, he moved to the UAE with a simple goal: To build a better future for the family he left behind.

“He was educated but couldn’t find a job at home; he instead took up a post as a security guard at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport,” his father Cham Bahadur says.

Back in Borlang village, his family is paralyzed by grief.

“We saw him in a video call last time where he said be home on leave in just two months and come home,” his father says.

In Nepal, more than 2 million citizens are employed in the Gulf, and remittance is essential to nearly one-fourth of Nepal’s GDP. For many Nepalis, these workers are the backbone of their survival, but now they fear being caught and becoming human cost.

Diaspora at risk

Human Rights Watch said in a statement that civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council countries are at grave risk from Iranian strikes in response to US and Israeli military attacks on Iran.

“Many of the Iranian attacks have struck civilian residential buildings, hotels, civilian airports, and embassies, and have unlawfully targeted civilian objects such as financial centers,” the statement said.

Since February 28, 2026, Israel and the US have carried out thousands of attacks across Iran. Iranian forces responded with waves of drone and missile attacks against Gulf states, striking in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

“Since February 28, Iran has launched thousands of drones and missiles against GCC countries, with the largest number striking the UAE. As of March 16, the attacks resulted in at least 11 civilian deaths and at least 268 injuries, with the majority of victims migrant workers, according to GCC government sources,” the statement said, adding that ten of those killed are foreign nationals.

In the UAE alone, expatriates comprise 88.5% of the total population, with 10 million foreign nationals as opposed to 1.3 million Emirati nationals. Indians are in the majority, comprising nearly 38% of the total population of the UAE. The rest include Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Nepalis, Sri Lankans, etc.

The Indian Foreign Ministry has said “the welfare and safety of India’s large diaspora in the region remain the government’s utmost priority,” and has set up control rooms that operate round the clock to attend to anxious calls from families.

The government says that Indian airlines were also operating several flights to transport stranded passengers to West Asia despite hundreds of other flights being grounded.

Back in their Kandivali home in Mumbai, Komal Singh sits surrounded by an uncertain future, wondering how her family of three, her brother and mother, will move forward without the man who held everything together.

“With our father no more, our back has been broken. We don’t know how to carry on without him.”

India is looking to boost fertilizer imports from Russia, Belarus, and Morocco as a supply crunch looms due to the Middle East conflict, Reuters has reported.

Export curbs put in place by China could further dampen stocks ahead of the summer planting season, the news outlet said.

The Middle East accounts for about half of India’s fertilizer imports, while Saudi Arabia is its largest diammonium phosphate (DAP) provider and Oman the biggest urea supplier.

“We’ve got more stocks than last year, but if the war goes on longer, things ⁠could get tight,” Reuters quoted an unnamed government source as saying. “So we’re in touch with Russia and others to bring in more supplies over the next few months.”

It ⁠also plans to approach Indonesia for supplies.

Bloomberg reported last week that India has urged China to ease export curbs on urea. Earlier last week, New Delhi said India had adequate stock of key fertilizers.

The South Asian nation’s urea and DAP inventories are up 10.7% and 105%, respectively, from a year ago.

Indian companies import fertilizers individually but negotiate collectively with suppliers, as the sector is highly regulated. The government subsidizes retail sales to farmers.

New Delhi’s concerns also stem from a shortage of liquefied natural gas, a key feedstock for urea production. Qatar is India’s largest supplier of imported LNG, but shipments have been ⁠disrupted following Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Around a third of the world’s nitrogen fertilizers pass through the strait.

India is the world’s biggest urea importer. If the Middle East-linked disruption persists, it may be forced to seek additional supplies ahead of its main agricultural season, which begins in June with the arrival of monsoon rains.

Domestic urea production capacity has trailed demand. Rating agency ICRA projects that India’s reliance on urea imports will increase to around 30% of total consumption by 2030.

Agriculture is India’s mainstay, which, along with allied activities, accounted for 16% of India’s gross domestic product in the 2024-25 fiscal year. It also provides livelihoods to more than 46% of the population.

Russian oil supplies to India have surged by 27% in March compared to last month, Kommersant reported on Thursday, citing data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea (CAS).

Shipments to the South Asian country from Russia reached 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, according to the report.

On March 6, the US granted India a 30-day waiver to import Russian oil. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move was aimed at ensuring stability in the global oil market amid a mounting energy crisis since the war on Iran broke out.

Compared to January, Indian crude imports from Russia increased by approximately 17%, the CAS figures show.

Nayara Energy, in which Russian oil giant Rosneft has a stake, was the largest buyer in the first week of March, according to the Kommersant report.

India’s top refiner, Reliance, tripled its oil imports from Russia to its terminal in Jamnagar.

Earlier this year, Reliance stopped crude purchases from Russia after the EU imposed a ban on the import of petroleum products made from Russian crude.

New Delhi is increasing its imports of Russian oil amid disruptions in crude supplies from the Middle East due to military action and the virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

India imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments are routed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Cargo shipping traffic through the strait has come to a near standstill since the US-Israeli war against Iran began, pushing oil prices to as high as $120 a barrel earlier this month.

Recently uncovered Ukrainian mercenary activity in India is “very disturbing,” a former paramilitary general has told RT India.

India’s anti-terrorism organization, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), last week arrested seven people, including six Ukrainians and a US citizen, for allegedly training and supplying weapons to insurgents in Myanmar. It said the men had crossed into India’s eastern neighbor and back through the state of Mizoram, which restricts the entry of non-Indian citizens.

The lack of Myanmar army personnel on the border with Mizoram facilitates significant movement of people, Lt. Gen. Shokin Chauhan, former director general of the Assam Rifles paramilitary force, told RT India.

“The Ukrainian Embassy has asked for their [arrested nationals] release,” he added. “But we are not going to give them up because it’s very, very clear that they entered this part of India illegally.” 

Chauhan said the suspects will be charged for violating Indian laws.

❗️RT INDIA EXCLUSIVE - NAMED: American & Ukrainian Nationals Arrested For Alleged 'Terror Training' In Myanmar

The American named, Matthew VanDyke, has appeared in at least two films - one about his activities in Libya, and another about his 'security' firm, Sons of Liberty… https://t.co/68tmeaRBtI pic.twitter.com/pf5v8mfK4z

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 17, 2026

He said the region around the India-Myanmar border is a hotbed of insurgent activity against the Myanmar Army.

Those arrested could have been in the region to train insurgents to fight the Myanmar Army, according to Chauhan.

“However, many of these insurgent groups are also helping out insurgent groups that are operating inside India,” he added, calling it “a very disturbing factor.”

The former paramilitary officer said it is not known how the mercenaries entered Mizoram as a special permit was required for foreigners to enter the region.

“The Indo-Myanmar border is 1,643 kilometers long… The lack of a continuous fence… that’s the issue with our northeastern borders,” he said. “A lot of people [are] trying to fish in troubled waters. And I’m not sure which foreign power is involved in it, if there’s a foreign power involved. I’m not sure which insurgent group is involved in it, but we will come to know. And we will have the capability to deal with this very soon.”

The arrest of six Ukrainian mercenaries in India for subversive activities is a setback for Kiev’s ties with New Delhi, a global strategic analyst has told RT India. 

On March 13, six Ukrainians and one US citizen were taken into custody by India’s anti-terrorism agency for their alleged links with insurgents in Myanmar. They have also been accused of subversive activities in India’s northeast region, bordering Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Bangladesh.

One Ukrainian national who was arrested is also linked to a notorious neo-Nazi community in Kiev, RT reported. India has made the names of all seven public.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has demanded that the detainees receive “unhindered consular access.”

Asked how this could complicate bilateral ties if the charges are upheld, global strategic analyst Shashi Asthana told RT: “This is somehow a setback in a manner that you have these mercenaries coming here and creating problems, and India has been quite transparent.”

Ukrainians will continue to receive unhindered access, and this is how the judicial process works in India, he added.

Regarding the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s statement that its embassy in India has not received an official notification, Asthana said: “Maybe… this is what they told the media to justify their audience in Ukraine or Kiev.”

“As far as consular access is concerned, there is no problem in India. Even the terrorist who killed people in the Taj hotel in Mumbai [in 2008] was given consular access,” he said.

“This American [Matthew Aaron VanDyke] is the kingpin in a manner that he calls himself a security specialist,” Asthana said, adding, “He has been fighting ISIS, Libya, Ukraine, and other places.”

“Their credentials are also in the media, all seven of them,” Asthana added.

“His [the US citizen’s] credentials look like he is on a drone-selling spree,” he said.

India’s National Investigation Agency has reportedly found evidence that multiple consignments of drones from Europe were delivered by the accused to individuals and groups in Mizoram.

India has stepped up liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) production in light of the supply disruption caused by the Middle East conflict.

On March 10, New Delhi had invoked special legislation, the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), to ensure adequate gas supplies.

The federal government said on Tuesday that production of LPG had subsequently increased by 38%.

India’s daily LPG consumption is around 90,000 tons on average, of which imports comprise 55,000 tons while 35,000 tons are sourced from domestic production, according to the Hindu newspaper.

The report said the 38% increase would spur domestic production to more than 48,000 tons per day.

New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments are routed through the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Nearly 85-90% of the country’s LPG consumption goes to households as cooking gas while the rest is allocated for commercial and industrial purposes.

With curbs on industrial and commercial uses in place, the daily import requirement has likely come down to around 30,000 tons, according to the Hindu report.

Cargo shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has come to a near standstill since the US-Israeli war against Iran began, pushing oil prices to as high as $120 a barrel earlier this month.

Nevertheless, two Indian-flagged LPG tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are now docked in India.

India has denied a report that Iran has sought the release of three oil tankers seized by New Delhi as part of talks on the safe passage for its ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

New Delhi intercepted three vessels 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai following the detection of suspicious activity within India’s exclusive economic zone in February.

“There has been no discussion of this nature,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Tuesday. “I would also like to say the three vessels you referred to are not Iranian-owned,” he said.

Traffic has virtually come to a near standstill on either side of the ⁠strait since the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran, pushing oil prices to as high as $120 a barrel earlier this month. 

The tankers referred to in the reports (Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia, and Stellar Ruby) were seized near Indian waters for allegedly concealing or altering their identities. The vessels were reportedly involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers at sea.

“Many ships are still there in the Strait of Hormuz area. It is our intention to work with Iran and other countries to bring those ships back home safely. This is our objective. Discussions are ongoing on this issue,” Jaiswal said.

The development comes after Iran allowed two Indian-flagged LPG tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday that talks with Iran on safe passage for Indian vessels through the crucial waterway were “ongoing” and “yielding results.” There is no “blanket arrangement” between New Delhi and Tehran on the movement of ships, he said.

Six Ukrainians and a US citizen were taken into custody by India’s anti-terror agency on Friday, March 13, for their alleged links with insurgents in Myanmar and subversive activities in India’s northeast region, bordering Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Bangladesh.

On Monday, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court at Patiala House Courts in Delhi ordered their detention until March 27 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which punishes conspiracy, advocacy, abetment, or facilitation of a terrorist act or any preparatory act, according to the ANI news agency.

#WATCH | Special NIA Court at Patiala House Court remanded 6 foreigners in 11 days of National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody. They were produced before the NIA court.

It is alleged that they came to India on a visa and then entered Mizoram, which is a protected area.… pic.twitter.com/s7bXItPLTx

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2026

What does the probe claim?

The NIA probe, according to documents seen by RT India, focuses on the illegal entry of the individuals to the Indian state of Mizoram, where foreign nationals are required to obtain a special permit, as well as illegal crossing into Myanmar “with the intention of carrying out a pre-scheduled training for Myanmar-based Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs).”

These insurgent groups are reportedly linked to rebel outfits in India’s northeast region, which has been marred by violence for decades, but particularly in recent years. For instance, the state of Manipur has been in the headlines since 2023 after deadly ethnic clashes killed hundreds and displaced thousands.

The NIA has also reportedly found evidence suggesting that multiple consignments of drones from Europe were delivered by the accused persons to individuals and groups in Mizoram. According to Indian Express, the NIA submitted before the court that the accused disclosed during interrogation that they were in “direct touch and abetted in their terrorist illegal activities by unknown terrorists carrying AK47 rifles.”

According to excerpts of the First Information Report (FIR) obtained by RT, the security agencies are also examining the phones of the detained “to unearth the conspiracy which was being hatched by accursed persons to use local ethnic groups of India to hamper national security of India.”

What do we know about the arrested foreigners?

While New Delhi is yet to issue any official statement on the arrests, documents obtained by RT reveal the names, nationalities, and locations of the arrested by the NIA. They have been identified as:

Matthew Aaron VanDyke (US citizen)

Petro Hurba (Ukrainian citizen)

Taras Slyviak (Ukrainian citizen)

Ivan Sukmanovskyi (Ukrainian citizen)

Marian Stefankiv (Ukrainian citizen)

Maksim Honcharuk (Ukrainian citizen)

Viktor Kaminskyi (Ukrainian citizen)

❗️RT INDIA EXCLUSIVE - NAMED: American & Ukrainian Nationals Arrested For Alleged 'Terror Training' In Myanmar

The American named, Matthew VanDyke, has appeared in at least two films - one about his activities in Libya, and another about his 'security' firm, Sons of Liberty… https://t.co/68tmeaRBtI pic.twitter.com/pf5v8mfK4z

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 17, 2026

How the arrests took place?

Of the six Ukrainians in the custody of the anti-terror agency, three were detained at the Delhi airport. The other three were nabbed by NIA agents at the airport in the northern city of Lucknow.

The US citizen was detained at an airport in Kolkata, the West Bengal state that is a key gateway to North Indian states.

All of the arrests took place on March 13, between 8 pm and midnight IST. This indicates that the intelligence agencies were on the trail of the suspects after gathering significant inputs, likely from Interpol or with foreign assistance or the help of foreign intelligence agencies.

Who is American mercenary Matthew VanDyke?

The US national, Matthew VanDyke, seems to relish the social media limelight. While the NIA is looking into a larger conspiracy, his name stands out. Believed to be a former US soldier, VanDyke previously appeared on the frontlines of the Libyan and later the Syrian conflicts.

The US mercenary’s X handle claims he fought in Libya and Ukraine and has run covert operations with a Venezuelan rebel commander since 2019. It also proclaims “FREE IRAN,” while offering little in the way of details.

The political statements on his X page also reveal a streak of right-wing affiliation, though there is not much credible evidence on this count.

VanDyke’s descriptor on his YouTube channel has a dash of a mercenary streak, laced with a camouflaged sprinkling of democratic aura by proclaiming that he is “preparing for an independent mission to Iraq during which he’ll train Iraqis to fight back against the Islamic State.” He claims that he is the founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a security firm that advises, trains, and supplies vulnerable populations to defend themselves against terrorists. A video titled ‘The Freedom Fighter’ shows men in camouflage undergoing armed training.

Another video, titled ‘Point and Shoot’, claims it is the official trailer for an award-winning film about the Libyan Revolution.

In one X post, VanDyke mentions his “friend” Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, a US transgender woman and ex-head of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense’s English-language propaganda.

VanDyke’s self-proclaimed claim to fame is his participation in the Libyan civil war as a foreign mercenary in the uprising against the late Muammar Gaddafi. Filmmaker, armed combatant, and rebel fighter are his other “illustrious” self-proclaimed roles.

He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, according to his Wikipedia page. 

In 2004, he claims to have graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service with a master’s degree in security studies “with a Middle East concentration.”

Why is the NIA probe significant?

According to court documents, as cited by the media, the arrested Ukrainian national is part of larger group of 14 Ukrainians that had entered India on tourist visas on separate dates, and had flown to Guwahati, a capital of Assam state in India’s northeast, and a key hub in the region.

It is not immediately clear whether VanDyke is part of the group of Ukrainians or had any links with them. The NIA probe is likely to focus on those links, as well as pursue how the accused entered India and also restricted areas without the appropriate scrutiny.

Mizoram’s chief minister, Lalduhoma, alleged in 2025 that “thousands” of Western mercenaries linked to Kiev had crossed over to Myanmar via the state. “We have specific intelligence that the Ukraine war veterans travelled to Myanmar’s Chin State via Mizoram to train rebel outfits fighting the military junta,” Lalduhoma told the local assembly. He suggested that Mizoram was being used to cross into neighboring Myanmar to train militants and supply them with weapons after rules for obtaining special permissions to visit the state were relaxed in 2011 to boost tourism. The inflow of potential foreign mercenaries prompted the the Protected Area Permit to be reimposed in the state, local media reported.

The chief minister of the neighboring state of Manipur, N Biren Singh, in 2024 also suggested that authorities suspected the involvement of foreign mercenaries in the violence in the state, referring to combat forces linked to Myanmar. During that time, New Delhi announced it would be building a fence along the entire 1,643 kilometer (1,020-mile) long porous border with Myanmar. 

How did Ukraine respond?

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry lodged an official protest with New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of its citizens and access to them. The ministry claimed there were no “established facts proving the involvement of the said Ukrainian citizens in unlawful activities on the territory of India or Myanmar.”

It also accused Indian and Russian media of publishing “distorted interpretations of the available facts.” According to the statement, the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Delhi did not receive any official notification from the Indian authorities regarding the detention of Ukrainian citizens and consular access to the detainees was not provided. Kiev also pointed out that certain restricted-access zones in India for foreign nationals, entry to which is possible only with special permits, are not properly marked, which creates a risk of unintentional violations.

India has condemned the alleged Pakistani airstrike on a hospital in Afghanistan that killed at least 400 on Monday.

Islamabad has denied that it attacked the hospital, saying it only targeted military installations in Kabul and the Nangahar province.

The attack on Kabul’s 2,000-bed Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital took place at around 9 pm local time, Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, said in a post on X.

“India unequivocally condemns Pakistan’s barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target.”

❗️India 'Unequivocally Condemns' Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul Hospital

The MEA called it a "cowardly and unconscionable act of violence" and a "heinous act of aggression" by Pakistan. https://t.co/z2XAnbkhpd pic.twitter.com/fFfdI8GaeW

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 17, 2026

The ministry added: “Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation.” New Delhi also said the “heinous act of aggression” is a “blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty” and a direct “threat to regional peace and stability.”

The ministry said the attack was carried out during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, making it “all the more reprehensible.”

Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fighting for weeks after Islamabad declared an “open war” in February. Pakistan has struck military and other facilities deep inside Afghanistan, including the capital, Kabul.

The strain in relations is also attributed to Kabul’s increasing engagement with Pakistan’s longtime rival, India.

India’s anti-terrorism agency has arrested six Ukrainians and an American for alleged links with insurgents in Myanmar.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken the group into custody for questioning, with a Delhi court ordering their detention until March 27, the New Indian Express (NIE) reported on Tuesday. 

The NIA is probing their alleged illegal entry into India and involvement in terrorist activities in the restive north-eastern part of the country. According to the report, three of the Ukrainian citizens were arrested in Delhi, and the rest in the northern Indian city of Lucknow.

The US citizen was arrested in the eastern city of Kolkata.

❗️ India’s NIA Arrests Six Ukrainians, One American for Alleged ‘Terror Training’ in Myanmar – IANS

The accused have been detained on charges of ‘illegal entry, weapons and drone warfare training, and importing drones from Europe.’ pic.twitter.com/2uofIxbOdC

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 17, 2026

The NIA suspects that the foreign nationals entered Mizoram in India’s north-east, before crossing over to Myanmar, where they allegedly came in contact with ethnic insurgent groups linked to violence in India. The group are also accused of bringing a large consignment of drones from Europe, according to the NIE report.

The federal government announced in 2024 that a national counter-terrorism policy and strategy were being drafted to counter the terrorist ecosystem.

Following the terror attack in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in April last year, the NIA held discussions with anti-terrorism units from all states to brief them on steps aimed at preventing such attacks.

Terrorist cells operating from abroad tap the infrastructure, logistics, and terrain knowledge of local groups, according to a policy document from the Indian Home Ministry.

The war that the US and Israel have unleashed against Iran demonstrates that Washington has not learned the right lessons from the results of its past regime change policies in the Middle East, largely conducted in an attempt to ensure Israel’s long-term security.

The US military interventions to bring about regime change have left in their wake internal strife, ethnic divisions, political and economic instability, the rise of Islamic groups, terrorism, the persecution of minorities, and refugee flows in the targeted countries. This was particularly the case with Iraq and Syria.

Afghanistan and Libya were targeted not with the objective of Israel’s security but as part of the so-called war on terror, aiming to secure control over the politics of this wider region, including its resources, and with the goal of eroding Russia’s influence in this part of the world.

Any strategy of regime change in Iran with the balkanization of the country in mind would have disastrous consequences for the region and beyond.

The Middle East sits atop massive oil and gas resources, and therefore the region is critical for running the wheels of the global economy. War in the region is inherently de-stabilizing for the economies of all countries.

Territorial ambitions, geopolitical rivalries, and insecurities of any set of countries should not disregard the interests of the global community as a whole. If the UN Charter were respected and the UN Security Council functioned effectively, then war as a choice or driven solely by the security interests of any particular country could be prevented.

Miscalculation in Iran

In this broad context, the US-Israeli aggression against Iran can be seen as a dramatic misjudgment. Israel has long felt an existential threat from Iran and has lobbied with the US for military action to eliminate its nuclear program, not to mention the regime itself.

Trump’s declared objectives for launching this war have changed in their enunciation. In June 2025, he announced that Iran’s nuclear program had been obliterated. Nevertheless, he engaged Iran in negotiations over its nuclear program in the weeks leading up to the current conflict, using Oman as a mediator. Simultaneously, he positioned an “armada” of US forces close to Iran for military action, which suggested that his goal went beyond the nuclear question.

The US has always wanted to curb Iran’s missile program as well as its regional role in order to limit its capacity to hit Israel, as was demonstrated during the 12-day conflict in June 2025. Another aim for the US was to force Iran to end its support for the Islamic groups that threaten Israel’s security such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. 

If Washington reasoned that killing the supreme leader and top military and intelligence officials would lead to the collapse of the regime, that strategy has failed. In fact, in June 2025, Trump had announced that the US knew the exact location of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and could take him out if needed. Trump may have felt that his success in Venezuela in abducting President Nicolas Maduro through a limited military operation and replacing him with the country’s pliant vice-president could be replicated in Iran, but that strategy has failed. Trump did say that regime change in Iran was not an objective, but the US president is known for making contradictory statements. He is now bombing Iran’s military and civilian infrastructure and giving ominous warnings that Iran will be destroyed as a country. The US is claiming that 6,000 targets in Iran have been hit so far. The Tomahawk missile attack on an Iranian school that killed 165 girls and injured many others has led to a major backlash at home and abroad.

Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is a trump card in Iran’s hands. Even before Iran could block maritime traffic through the strait, insurance companies effectively disrupted the oil traffic by refusing cover. With 20% of global oil supplies passing through the strait, the current disruption has resulted in oil prices shooting up to over $100 per barrel.

The Biden administration had publicly encouraged India to buy Russian oil to keep the oil price stable, a policy that Trump had castigated but has now appropriated. Russia is a big gainer politically and economically, as this has not only demonstrated that Russian oil cannot be realistically excluded from the international market, but has also placed Europe, which has pursued a policy of breaking all energy relations with Russia, in an untenable situation. The EU has opposed the lifting of temporary sanctions on Russian oil.

The view from New Delhi

India has been put in a very difficult position by this aggression against Iran. We have almost 10 million Indians residing in the Gulf countries. Much of India’s oil and gas imports come from the region: 35% to 50% of its crude oil imports, 90% of its LPG imports, and 42% of its LNG imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. About 38% (amounting to $45 billion) of Indian’s total remittances of $135 billion in FY 2025 came from this region, with the largest percentage coming from the UAE. India has signed FTAs with the UAE and Oman, and is negotiating one with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a whole.

The UAE has become the hub of India’s expansive cooperation plans with this region in the frontier areas of technology such as AI, super computers, green energy, space, digital embassies, and small modular reactors. This is in the perspective of marrying Indian talented manpower and the investment potential available in the Gulf countries.

India has strong ties with the US and Israel as well as with the Gulf countries. Iran is an important neighbor, and India has strategic equities in Iran, be it access to Afghanistan and Central Asia through Chabahar port and connectivity to Russia through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-km multi-modal network connecting India, Iran, Russia, and Central Asia via ship, rail, and road, not to mention our shared membership of BRICS and the SCO.

India has kept its channels with Iran open, with Iranian presidents visiting India and, in recent years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the defense and foreign ministers visiting Iran. The sinking of an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka’s coast by a US submarine in the first week of the conflict raised serious concerns in New Delhi. The vessel was one of three Iranian ships that took part in India’s biennial MILAN 2026 naval exercise. India has a reason to be vexed not only about the human cost of the incident, but also about what is seen as the geopolitical insensitivity of the US action.

Our stakes in a ceasefire and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the region are very high.

A US government watchdog has called for sanctions on India’s external intelligence agency and a social service organization for allegedly violating religious freedom.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended sanctions targeting the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s external intelligence agency; and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological ‘parent’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

The USCIRF recommended that these entities be sanctioned for what it called “their responsibility and tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom.” It has also demanded “freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States.”

The panel said India should be designated as a “country of particular concern” for engaging in and “tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.”

Sanction RSS and RAW - US Commission on International Religious Freedom

The 🇺🇸 commission said assets of individuals and entites associated with the social service organisation and the intelligence agency should be frozen, adding that such people should be barred from entering… pic.twitter.com/H28nkWBEWI

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 16, 2026

India has yet to respond to the development. This is not the first time that the USCIRF has levelled such charges against New Delhi and various entities in the South Asian nation.

In March 2025, the agency chided India over the alleged “worsening treatment of minorities in the country.”

It demanded India’s designation as a “country of particular concern” and recommended imposing targeted sanctions on RAW over alleged links to plots targeting Sikh separatists in North America last year.

The Indian Foreign Ministry flatly rejected the accusations, saying the USCIRF has a “pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments.”  It also cited the US organization’s “persistent attempts” to misrepresent isolated incidents that “reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom.”

The USCIRF claims it acts independently. The agency’s nine commissioners are appointed by the US president and senior political leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Talks with Iran are the most “effective way” to restart the passage of ships through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has said.

His comments came after US President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested that China, Japan, and other nations should deploy naval units to the Strait of Hormuz to protect maritime traffic from Iranian strikes.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, Jaishankar cited negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran that allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the strait as an example of diplomatic solutions.

“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them and my talking has yielded some results,” he said. “This is ongoing. If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it.”

There is no “blanket arrangement” with Iran for Indian-flagged ships and “every ship movement is an individual happening,” Jaishankar added.

“Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution than we don’t,” the Indian foreign minister said. “So if that sort of allows other people to engage, I think the world is better off for it.”

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, handling a substantial share of global oil and gas shipments. Tehran’s ambassador to New Delhi last week confirmed access to the key oil chokepoint for Indian ships, citing longstanding ties.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian last Thursday as part of the country’s diplomatic efforts. Jaishankar has spoken to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, four times since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February, triggering retaliatory strikes from Tehran.

Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, has indicated that Indian vessels can expect safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Responding to a question from an RT India correspondent, the envoy highlighted that Tehran sees New Delhi as a friend and that there are converging interests between the two countries.

Asked directly whether India would receive safe passage through the strait, he replied: “Yes, because India is our friend. You will see it within two or three hours.”

Fathali emphasized that Iran and India share key interests in the region, describing New Delhi as an important partner for Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, handling a substantial share of global oil and gas shipments.

Earlier this week, the first India-bound oil tanker sailing under a Liberian flag cleared the Strait of Hormuz and berthed at Mumbai.

The Iranian envoy’s remarks also come hours after top officials of the two countries held telephone talks. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday, expressing concern over the “escalation of tensions, the loss of civilian lives, and the damage to civilian infrastructure.”

In a separate conversation, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. During the conversation, Tehran outlined its position after US‑Israeli strikes and called for support from BRICS nations, while India emphasized cooperation and regional stability.

International bodies and organizations should come forward to condemn the US-Israel military aggression against Iran, Tehran has told India.

The message was conveyed during Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi’s telephone conversation on Thursday night with his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar. The two diplomats discussed regional and international developments in what was their fourth call since the latest Middle East crisis erupted, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a X post.

Araghchi briefed Jaishankar on the “acts of aggression and atrocities committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, as well as the consequences for regional and global stability and security,” the ministry said.

The foreign minister emphasized “the firm resolve” of the Iranian government, nation, and armed forces “to exercise their legitimate right to self-defense,” according to the statement

Iranian FM Holds Call With EAM Jaishankar, Calls BRICS 'Essential' To 'Support Regional & Global Security' - 🇮🇷 Readout

The EAM also expressed India's readiness to develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation in various forums and stress the need for sustainable stability and… pic.twitter.com/UVixbRXD8g

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 13, 2026

Araghchi also stressed the importance of BRICS “as a forum for developing multilateral cooperation,” and said the bloc should play a constructive role in supporting regional and global stability and security.

India holds the BRICS chair in 2026. Iran joined the grouping in January 2024.

The Iranian statement said Jaishankar emphasized the need to strengthen sustainable stability and security in the region as a collective necessity.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday night and voiced deep concern over the “escalation of tensions, the loss of civilian lives, and the damage to civilian infrastructure.”

The safety and security of Indian citizens, along with the need for uninterrupted flow of goods and energy, remain India’s top priorities, Modi told Pezeshkian, according to his X post.

Modi reiterated India’s commitment to peace and stability and called for dialogue and diplomacy.

New Delhi has so far not condemned the US and Israel for the attack on a school that killed more than 160 girls or the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Thursday, India cosponsored a resolution in the UN Security Council that condemns Iran’s recent attacks on Arab countries.

India has rejected claims by Reuters that it is holding back bilateral engagement or delaying a trade deal with the US, saying talks between the two countries are continuing toward a “mutually beneficial agreement.”

The news agency earlier claimed, citing sources, that New Delhi would postpone signing a trade deal with Washington by several months.

Commenting on Friday, the Indian Commerce Ministry said: “We have noted a media report regarding ongoing trade talks with US. It is denied that there is any hold off in bilateral engagement. It is reiterated that the two sides remain engaged for a mutually beneficial trade agreement.”

The supposed delay comes amid investigations by the Donald Trump administration into what it calls excessive industrial capacity among trading partners such as India, according to the Reuters report.

India and the US announced an interim trade deal last month, after months of negotiations following a steep 50% tariff imposed by Washington on the South Asian nation in August 2025.

The US said that as a part of the deal, India would stop buying oil from Russia, a claim that New Delhi has not confirmed. 

Trade talks between the countries stalled last month after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs on imports from various countries.

Earlier this month, the US granted India a 30-day waiver to purchase oil from Russia, aimed at ensuring stability in the global oil market following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

India has stated that it does not need US permission to buy Russian oil.

“In the national interest, India purchases oil from wherever the most competitive and affordable prices are available,” the Indian government said in a statement last week.  

India signed a trade pact with the European Union this year, and with the UK, Oman, and New Zealand in 2025.

India has urged China to ease export curbs on urea as the Middle East conflict continues, threating to impact fertilizer production, Bloomberg has reported.

Beijing is the world’s top producer of urea, and controls exports under a quota system, though it has yet to set the level of outbound shipments for 2026, the media outlet said.

The conflict in the Middle East has impacted supplies of liquefied natural gas, forcing fertilizer manufacturers in India to shut factories, according to the report.

Prices of urea, the most widely used nitrogen fertilizer which is crucial to food production, rose 21% in the first week of the conflict to the highest in more than three years.

On Tuesday, New Delhi said the availability of key fertilizers, including urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP), the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertilizer, was adequate across the country.

India’s domestic urea production capacity has trailed demand, according to rating agency ICRA. It estimates that New Delhi’s reliance on urea imports will increase to around 30% of total consumption by 2030. ICRA projects urea demand in the current financial year to be 38 million metric tons.

India’s export relaxation request comes amid an uptick in ties with China, with reports this week indicating New Delhi has eased investment rules for neighboring countries to support local manufacturing, a step mainly aimed at Beijing.

India is the world’s biggest urea importer, but it does not face an immediate fertilizer shortage. However, if gas disruption caused by the Middle East conflict persists, the South Asian nation may be forced to seek additional supplies of urea ahead of its main agricultural season, which begins in June with the arrival of monsoon rains.

Agriculture and allied activities accounted for 16% of India’s gross domestic product in FY 2024-25, providing livelihoods to more than 46% of the population.

The Middle East conflict has put New Delhi in a very difficult position diplomatically, a former Indian envoy has told RT India.

Neither of the sides involved in the conflict – the US-Israel coalition and Iran – is listening to India, former ambassador to Venezuela, Deepak Bhojwani, said in an exclusive interview aired on Thursday.

“We are just trying to see if we can maintain and secure our interests, primarily energy and other supplies from the Gulf region,” Bhojwani said.

New Delhi is also seeking to secure the interests of the Indian diaspora in the region, he added.

Bhojwani said India has kept its channels open with most countries in the neighborhood, with some exceptions such as Pakistan.

“We’ve rebuilt our ties with Bangladesh even, with Sri Lanka, which at one time were perilous, with the Maldives and so on,” he said. “With China also, we are rebuilding. So, basically, we’ve got our lines open with all countries, including Iran.”

Referring to India cosponsoring a resolution in the UN Security Council that condemned Iran’s recent attacks on Arab countries, he said, “It was because a Thai tanker bringing goods to India was attacked and burnt.”

“Iran may feel it’s justified in attacking countries in the Gulf. But when you extend those attacks to civilian infrastructure and so on, it’s questionable whether you’re doing the right thing,” Bhojwani said.

He said quiet diplomacy is always preferable, though there are times when you have to stand up for principles.

Bhojwani added that India followed a cautious diplomatic approach when it came to the US.

“Because what tends to happen is that given his [US President Donald Trump’s] mercurial character, if we challenge him openly, it’ll offend not just his ego, but his image within his country, because that’s what apparently matters more to him than anything else,” he said.

The former envoy said the rules-based international order has been violated repeatedly by the collective West.

“The rules-based order was effectively denuded and eventually shredded by the West itself,” he said, adding, “So there is no such thing, in my opinion, as a rules-based order right now.”

The first India-bound tanker to cross the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict began has arrived in the country.

The Liberian-flagged Shenlong Suezmax, which carried crude oil from Saudi Arabia, docked at Mumbai Port on Wednesday. 

The Shenlong departed from Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port on March 1 and transited through the strategic waterway controlled by Iran.

Maritime tracking agencies last recorded its location on the Strait of Hormuz on March 8, NDTV reported.

The unloading of the ship, which is carrying 135,335 metric tonnes of crude oil, may take about 36 hours, according to the Hindustan Times.

Nearly 20% of the world’s oil passes through the Iranian choke point.

❗️Oil Tanker From Saudi Arabia Arrives Safely In Mumbai Via Hormuz Strait

It is one of the first vessels to transit safely through the waters since the conflict in the Middle East began. pic.twitter.com/fqeKhbQtaW

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 12, 2026

An India-bound Thai bulk carrier was reportedly hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.

The arrival of the Shenlong comes as New Delhi invoked special legislation to ensure adequate gas supplies, which have been disrupted due to the conflict.

Indian officials have said that at present, 28 Indian-flagged vessels are operating in the Persian Gulf region. Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the Strait of Hormuz carrying 677 Indian seafarers, while four vessels are east of the Strait of Hormuz with 101 Indian seafarers onboard.

The Middle East conflict triggered by the US-Israel attacks on Iran and the latter’s retaliation has resulted in a virtual halt of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. About 30% of the oil India imports and 55% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports are routed through the Strait of Hormuz.

On Thursday, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar had spoken to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi about the safety of commercial shipping and India’s energy security, but did not elaborate further.

India has debunked an artificial intelligence-generated video of its army chief claiming the country had shared intelligence with Israel.

The deepfake video circulated online shows Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi claiming New Delhi conveyed the location of an Iranian ship in the Indian Ocean to Israel.

“As long as the Iranian ship remained in Indian waters, they remained protected but when they crossed the international waters, as Israel’s strategic allies, it was our duty to inform Israel about their exact location as part of our newer strategic deal,” the AI-generated Dwivedi is heard saying in the deepfake clip.

The Indian Foreign Ministry and the official Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check account on X dismissed the viral video as an AI-generated fake.

🚨 Deepfake Video Alert

Pakistani propaganda accounts are sharing a digitally manipulated video of the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, making false claims that when the Iranian ship crossed the international waters, as Israeli strategic allies, it was our duty to… pic.twitter.com/itQ63pXGuF

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 9, 2026

General Dwivedi has not commented on the clip, the PIB said.

The deepfake video was reportedly carved out from a clip of Dwivedi speaking at the Raisina Dialogue about India monitoring regional developments while maintaining neutrality.

The video came just days after a US submarine sank an Iranian Navy frigate in the Indian Ocean on March 2. The IRIS Dena was returning after a naval exercise hosted by India.

India has also denied a claim that US naval ships are using its ports amid the war in Iran.

There has recently been a spate of deepfake videos aiming to tarnish India’s official stance on global issues, including a debunked clip on X claiming India’s defense minister had ordered a top navy official to assist in attacking an Iranian ship.

Another deepfake video posted on Thursday shows an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson warning Tehran that it will not be spared for “any act of aggression toward New Delhi.”

In February, India imposed curbs on artificial intelligence content on social media platforms. The restrictions also slashed the time allowed for illegal content – including non-consensual deepfakes – to be taken down, reducing this to within two-to-three hours from the earlier 36-hour window for social media platforms.

India is the future, the West is the past, and multipolarity is inevitable, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov has told RT India.

In an exclusive interview aired on Thursday, Alipov said Russia wants to see a strong India, adding: “And this is something you are going to see very soon.”

Asked about US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “offering permission” to India to purchase oil from Russia, he said: “The words were very indicative of the attitude the US has. I think a reply has been already given by the Indian officials.”

“Minister Jaishankar responded to it. New Delhi has repeatedly said it makes energy decisions it considers in its best interest based on costs and risks.”

“I don’t think the US wants or sees anybody as partners, junior partners at best, generally subordinates,” Alipov said. “And this has to be understood by everybody with all the good intentions. The investments, the good offices from the US, comes with political conditions and pressure.”

He went on to say that Russian oil cannot be excluded from the global basket.

“There will be an acute shortage of supply and offer if it happens. And so the developments in the Middle East show that. Whether India buys Russian oil or somebody else, it will be there,” Alipov said.

India benefits from buying oil from Russia, he added. It has purchased 30 million barrels of oil from Russia following a US sanctions waiver, according to reports.

Alipov went on to describe the military action against Iran as a blatant violation of international law.

“Before that, you know, a midnight snatching of a legitimate president of an independent country happened in Venezuela,” he said.

Alipov called for an end to the actions of the US and Israel against Iran. “The hostilities should stop at the earliest so that we have the stability and predictability in the Middle East.”

A top political leader survived an assassination attempt in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the Indian union territory’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, said on Wednesday.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, 88, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, was attending a marriage ceremony in Jammu when the incident occurred. The attacker was immediately taken into custody.

Farooq Abdullah is Omar Abdullah’s father.

“My father had a very close shave,” Abdullah said on X. “The details are sketchy at the moment but what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point-blank range & discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot & ensured that the assassination attempt failed.” 

Allah is kind. My father had a very close shave. The details are sketchy at the moment but what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point blank range & discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot & ensured that… https://t.co/hYBe64Eigl

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 11, 2026

The attacker, identified as a 65-year-old man, who was trailing the politician, fired a gunshot, but commandos managed to overpower him, and the shot missed Abdullah narrowly, video footage shows.

The attacker has reportedly said that he had been waiting for this moment for the last 20 years. The motive has not been ascertained yet.

The former chief minister was accompanied by the state’s deputy chief minister, Surinder Choudhary, and a top aide to Omar Abdullah when the assassination attempt took place.

India has cosponsored a resolution in the UN Security Council (UNSC) that condemns Iran’s recent attacks on Arab countries.

The UNSC, which is currently being presided over by the US, passed the resolution by a vote of 13-0, with Russia and China being the only members abstaining.

The Bahrain-led resolution was cosponsored by 135 countries, including the US, UK, Spain, Canada, Germany, and many Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The resolution deplored “the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including airports, energy installations, objects necessary for food production and distribution, and critical civilian infrastructure, as well as the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas and their consequences for the civilian population, as well as attacks and threats on merchant and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Indian civilians have been among the casualties of the US-Israel war against Iran.

Several Indian ships are stranded in the waters of the Middle East as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The PTI news agency said 37 Indian-flagged ships carrying 1,109 seafarers are stuck in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and nearby waters.

Mayuree Naree, a Thai bulk carrier heading to India, was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the kingdom’s Navy said on Wednesday. The Omani Navy has saved 20 mariners from the vessel. 

“Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday.

“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.”

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries in the South Asian region facing signs of a possible liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage as the conflict in the Middle East hits vital energy supply chains.

Prahalad Singh, 48, who runs a roadside eatery in Saket area of New Delhi, anxiously scrolls through updates on his phone about LPG shortages hitting food businesses across several states in India. The disruption is the consequence of the ongoing war against Iran triggered by US-Israeli strikes – a war that has rattled the global energy supply chains and led to uncertainty across oil and gas markets.

“This is going to hit all of us,” says Singh, who sells Chinese food from a small roadside stall and is now counting how long his remaining gas supply will last. He says the cylinder he is currently using may only last another three days.

“I am already worried if I will be able to get another one on time. Our livelihood is at stake,” Singh says.

Across India, similar concerns are emerging from canteens, restaurants and hotels who depend heavily on commercial LPG cylinders to run their kitchens. Energy supply disruptions have already pushed up LPG prices in India, with the government recently increasing the cost of household cylinders by about 60 Indian rupees ($0.65) and commercial cylinders by roughly 115 rupees ($1.25).

The restaurant normally requires about ten commercial cylinders to operate each week smoothly, but the owner says only two have been delivered so far. With supply tightening, the crisis appears to be worsening with each passing day.

“This place is crowded during peak hours, but we have now closed operations for the daytime and will open briefly in the evening. This is the month of Ramadan, and this would be a peak work time. We are very worried,” said Aleem Ahmad, adding that roadside eateries and other food outlets would be severely hit.

For many small restaurants in Telangana, Ahmad says that Ramadan is usually one of the busiest seasons of the year, with families and workers stepping out in the evenings for iftar meals. However, the ongoing shortage of cooking gas threatens to reduce business during what should have been a peak earning period.

In a statement, the Bangalore Hotels Association said that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders had been stopped, which has put the hotel industry in a very difficult situation.

“As hotels are considered an essential service, many people — including senior citizens, students, and others who depend on us for daily meals — will be affected. Oil companies had earlier assured there would be no disruption in gas supply for 70 days, so this sudden stoppage is a major blow. We urge the Union government to intervene immediately, restore commercial gas supplies, and support the hotel industry,” the Association said.

Reports of shortages of commercial LPG cylinders have already surfaced from major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, UP, and Bengaluru, with several restaurants and catering businesses saying it has become increasingly difficult to operate.

Common citizen feels the pinch

In the outskirts of Delhi NCR, 45-year-old Sandhya Pal carefully manages her gas supply connection in her cloud kitchen as she runs a small tiffin service that delivers home-cooked meals to office workers and students.

“I have also changed my menu and kept only quickly cooked items available for a week. I am just anxious that the supply should last long and there should be no disruption in the service,” Sandhya says, adding that she is anxious about being able to serve her clients. “I am praying that the war should end soon. It is disrupting ordinary lives.”

“There is a lot of uncertainty. We fear that prices might further go up,” said Pawan Kumar, who works in a textile shop as a salesperson, and waited in a queue for hours to secure a gas cylinder for his home.

The ripple effects of the global energy disruption are also beginning to show up in domestic fuel prices in India. Observers say the increase reflects the broader rise in global energy prices and the uncertainty surrounding supplies in the Middle East, which remain under pressure.

“The higher fuel and cooking gas costs could soon mean more expensive restaurant meals, street food, catering services, and transport, and may gradually push up the prices of packaged food, vegetables, and delivery services as businesses pass on rising expenses. The hike will strain household budgets. If gas prices keep rising, food prices will inevitably go up,” said Aftab Ahmad, 33, a restaurant owner in New Delhi.

A quick response

The government has sought to reassure the public and businesses that adequate supplies remain available. Responding to the growing concern, the Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that it had begun taking steps to stabilize supplies and prioritize essential consumption.

According to the ministry, directions have been issued to oil refineries to increase LPG production in light of disruptions affecting fuel supply chains. Authorities are also directing additional production towards domestic cooking gas to ensure that households continue to receive uninterrupted supplies.

The ministry has said it is giving priority to domestic LPG supplies for households and has introduced a 25‑day gap between bookings to prevent hoarding and black marketing. LPG from imports for non‑domestic use is being directed first to essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions. For other non‑domestic users, including restaurants, hotels and industries, a committee of three executive directors from the oil marketing companies has been set up to review requests for LPG supply.

On Tuesday, the Indian government also invoked provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, which allows authorities to regulate production, supply, and pricing of key goods in order to prevent hoarding, black marketing, and artificial shortages during crises.

“Obviously, when there is a war situation in the Middle East, it is bound to affect several countries that import LPG and petroleum products. At the moment, we have adequate stocks, as assured by the Petroleum Minister and the External Affairs Minister on the floor of the House, said Ashok Chavan, a parliamentarian from the ruling BJP government. “So I think things will remain quite normal for the next two to three months. We also expect the war situation to stabilize soon through peace efforts by various countries.”

Ripple effect across Asia

Worries of energy shortage in the Global South grow every day as shipments  are struggling to path through the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow passage is one of the world’s most important energy corridors and is used by several Gulf producers to transport oil and liquefied gas to Asian markets.

India is among the largest consumers of LPG in the world at more than 33 million tonnes of cooking gas each year. A large share of this supply comes through imports, making the country vulnerable to global supply shocks and geopolitical instability.

Analysts warns that the disruption in the shipping lanes could also affect other countries that rely heavily on imported energy, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

On Monday, the Bangladeshi government instructed public and private universities in the country to shut, with Eid al‑Fitr holidays brought forward to conserve electricity and fuel during a severe energy crisis. The emergency step is intended to ease pressure on the power grid and reduce fuel use for transport amid global supply uncertainties.

“The Iran-Israel war has created an energy crisis in Bangladesh. As a result, public transport problems and an oil and gas crisis have arisen,” Dhaka resident Monirul Islam told RT. Alongside the shutdown of educational institutions, the government has ordered public and private offices to cut electricity use, including reducing lighting and air-conditioning by half. “We are hopeful that this war will end soon, and we will be free from this crisis,” another local resident, Sanjida Akter, said.

In Sri Lanka, which is still recovering from its 2022 economic collapse, the government has reintroduced fuel rationing measures and declared “power-saving holidays” for government offices. 

In Pakistan, the Iran war-related energy supply disruptions have exacerbated the existing severe economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, severe foreign exchange shortages, and heavy debt, requiring multiple bailouts from the IMF. On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced steep measures to cut down on energy consumption, including a four-day workweek for government offices, temporary closures of schools and universities, and a 50%reduction in fuel use by official vehicles.

Petrol and diesel prices in Pakistan have also been raised by roughly 20% as the government urges citizens not to stockpile fuel.

“This will not only affect the food and hospitality industry but thousands of gig workers across India who are on the verge of losing their livelihoods if this situation continues,” says Sadhya, fearing for her cloud kitchen, which she started a year ago. “The entire situation is scary and uncertain.”

India has eased its norms for investment from neighboring countries, including China, the Economic Times reports.

The decision to amend the existing norms was made at a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, according to the report.

The policy, which was enacted in 2020 and was aimed at Chinese companies, required approval from the federal government for investments from companies that had shareholders from countries sharing a land border with India.

The move to amend these norms is a major shift in India’s foreign direct investment policy after a gap of nearly six years, Xinhua said in a report.

The new guidelines will make it easier to do business in India, facilitate investments, provide the nation with access to new technologies, and help Indian companies integrate with the global supply chain, the Chinese state-run news agency said.

The new norms are likely to boost manufacturing in electronic components, capital goods, and solar cells.

Investment proposals in specified sectors have to be processed and decided on within 60 days, according to the new policy. The norms, however, stipulate that majority ownership and control of the investee company must remain with Indian residents.

New Delhi has received minimal investments from Beijing, but bilateral trade between the two nations has grown recently.

From April 2025 to January 2026, India’s exports to China spiked 38% to $15.88 billion and imports rose nearly 14% to $108.18 billion, registering a trade deficit of $92.3 billion.

The shift in policy is the latest sign of improved ties between New Delhi and Beijing, which were strained after a brief border clash in the Himalayas in 2020.

India’s diplomatic engagement with China has gathered momentum since 2024, while military-level talks helped defuse border tensions.

India’s Reliance Industries will invest in a $300 billion oil refinery to be set up in Texas, US President Donald Trump has said.

Trump said Reliance will be the partner for the proposed refinery at the Port of Brownsville, to be developed by America First Refining.

“America is returning to REAL ENERGY DOMINANCE! Today I am proud to announce that America First Refining is opening the FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.

There is no clarity on whether the $300 billion figure is for the refinery alone or a broader investment framework involving India, according to Newsweek.

Reliance has not responded to Trump’s announcement.

America First Refining said in a statement on Tuesday that it has received a “9-figure investment from a global supermajor at a 10-figure valuation.” It said the company has also signed a 20-year deal to purchase, process, and distribute shale oil.

America First expects to break ground in the second quarter of 2026.

The US trade imbalance will improve by $300 billion, the company statement said.

“The United States has a surplus of light shale oil but a shortage of refining capacity designed to process it. By building this refinery at the Port of Brownsville, we’re unlocking a major expansion of American energy production while creating thousands of high-paying jobs and strengthening our domestic supply chain,” Trey Griggs, president of America First Refining, said.

The development comes amid the escalating Middle East conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which briefly pushed oil prices to $120 on Monday.

Reliance, which owns the world’s largest oil refinery in Jamnagar, India, has a market capitalization of $206 billion.

Trump claimed the proposed Texas refinery will be the cleanest in the world.

The facility is expected to process 1.2 billion barrels of US light shale oil, valued at $125 billion, and produce 50 billion gallons of refined products worth $175 billion, CNBC reported.

From 2014 to 2024, the US exported nearly 10 billion barrels of crude while still importing roughly 28 billion barrels. The proposed refinery will redirect up to 60 million barrels of US crude annually back into domestic refining, America First claimed.

At India Energy Week 2026 in January, the key event for the country's oil and gas industry, officials signaled a confident assertion of India’s place in global energy: not only as the world’s third-largest energy consumer, but as a pragmatic actor in an increasingly unstable system.

Weeks later, the widening US–Israel-Iran conflict and renewed risk around the Strait of Hormuz began testing that claim in real time.

For India, the shock is immediate: higher freight costs, costlier insurance, exposed sea lanes and pressure on the import bill. Yet the same crisis has also reinforced the logic of India’s evolving strategy: diversification across suppliers, strategic reserves, flexible diplomacy and a refusal to reduce energy security to bloc politics. 

Brent crude, which had been trading around the low $70s before the crisis accelerated, moved through the $80s and $90s before briefly touching $119.50 a barrel on March 9, then fell back to $92.45 on talk of de-escalation and coordinated stabilization efforts. The episode underlines that today’s oil risk is less about headline supply and more about the insecurity of routes and chokepoints.

Demand anchor in a risk-prone oil order

India’s centrality to oil markets is no longer in question. In its Indian Oil Market Outlook to 2030, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that the South Asian nation will be the largest source of global oil demand growth this decade, adding roughly 1-1.2 million barrels per day of demand by 2030 and accounting for more than one‑third of net global growth.

This demand profile gives India weight, but it also magnifies vulnerability. The country still depends on imported crude for the overwhelming majority of its needs, and petroleum product consumption at around 20 million tonnes a month means even modest changes in crude prices, freight rates or insurance premia can quickly spill over into inflation, fiscal calculations and household budgets.

Hardeep Singh Puri has warned that India, which is expected to to be responsible for about 35% of global energy demand growth, now faces wartime realities: higher crude risk premia, costlier tanker insurance, fragile sea lanes and increased reliance on oil imports, up to 88%.

The Hormuz risk makes this concrete. The US Energy Information Administration estimates that around 20.9 million barrels per day of petroleum liquids moved through the Strait of Hormuz in 2023, equivalent to about one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption; for India, roughly 40% of its oil normally comes from the Middle East through this chokepoint, according to estimates by S&P Global. 

Even so, the domestic transmission of the global price spike has so far been moderated. Despite crude briefly crossing $100 per barrel during the latest escalation, retail petrol and diesel prices in India are unlikely to rise immediately as state-run oil marketing companies are expected to absorb part of the shock in the near term.

Officials indicate that these firms built a financial cushion during earlier periods of relatively stable crude prices, allowing them to temporarily shield consumers from abrupt price volatility while the government monitors global developments.

Diversification, Russian crude, and the Hormuz shock

India’s response to the new oil order has been diversification. Before 2022, Russian crude accounted for roughly 2% of India’s oil imports. By mid-2023, Russia had become India’s largest single supplier, at times reaching around 40% of the crude basket, helped by discounted Urals that improved refinery margins and tempered the import bill.

What has changed is not dependence in a narrow sense, but strategic optionality, the ability to shift supply sources when geopolitical shocks disrupt traditional routes.

That optionality now matters. In recent weeks, Indian refiners have reportedly secured an additional 6 million barrels of Russian crude for March delivery, helping offset tightening supplies from parts of the Middle East as the Iran conflict intensified. Industry reports suggest Russia could redirect up to 9.5 million barrels toward Indian waters, offering a temporary cushion if shipping through Gulf continues to be disrupted. A meaningful share of this crude already travels on routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, including via the Suez Canal or longer Arctic and Atlantic corridors, reducing, but not eliminating, India’s exposure to that chokepoint.

But Russian crude has continued to reach Indian refiners throughout the sanctions period because purchases are guided primarily by affordability, availability and security of supply, not by any single external actor.

Equally important, India is not relying on the waiver alone. Government sources told Reuters that New Delhi is not planning to join an IEA‑led coordinated reserve release, judging current reserves sufficient. Strategic petroleum reserves of 5.33 million tonnes, with about 4 million tonnes currently held, plus commercial stocks across refineries and depots, are limited but enough to buy time in a crisis driven by shipping disruptions. India would be using this time to lean on diversification rather than emergency stock draws.

Strategic autonomy, institutions and shared stability

This is where India’s energy strategy becomes clearer: it is neither anti‑Western nor anti‑Gulf, nor simply a hedge toward Russia, but a pragmatic approach to risk management through diversification.

The same pragmatism shapes India’s institutional engagement. New Delhi works through the G20, engages OECD‑linked processes, and expands South-South cooperation via BRICS energy dialogues and the International Solar Alliance. At home, India seeks to reduce long‑term hydrocarbon exposure through renewable expansion, domestic exploration, gas development and a growing critical‑minerals strategy, gradually weakening the link between any single geopolitical shock and macroeconomic stability. At the same time, major consuming economies are trying to stop the present crisis from becoming systemic: the IEA has urged G7 governments to consider coordinated releases of emergency oil stocks, while OPEC+ has signaled reassurance through a 206,000‑barrels‑per‑day production increase.

The message is clear: stabilizing oil markets today requires production policy, reserve diplomacy, maritime security and coordinated crisis management. India, therefore, is not merely exposed to this fragmenting oil order; it is actively learning to operate within it.

India has purchased 30 million barrels of oil from Russia following a US sanctions waiver, Bloomberg has reported.

The US granted India a 30-day waiver to purchase oil from Russia last week, aimed at ensuring stability in the global oil market following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

New Delhi had been gradually reducing its purchases of Russian oil since last year. It was procuring replacements from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, but the supplies were disrupted since last week.

Refiners, including the Indian Oil Corporation and Reliance, have scooped up all unsold cargoes of Russian crude from the spot market, the Bloomberg report noted.

Nearly 10 million barrels of Russian crude was bought by the state-backed Indian Oil Corporation, while Reliance purchased a similar quantity.

The US had granted a waiver for purchases of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels before March 5, according to the report.

New Delhi ramped up purchases of Russian oil after the Ukraine conflict began in early 2022, buying almost 2 million barrels a day during its peak in 2024. Procurement dropped to 1.06 million barrels in February, the report said.

In a related development, India has decided not to join the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) initiative to release strategic oil reserves, Economic Times reported.

New Delhi has 5.33 million tons of underground strategic reserves. India is the third largest oil importer and consumer in the world.

After the Middle East conflict began, crude prices soared to nearly $120 per barrel, the highest in four years. The surge has forced G7 nations to schedule a discussion on releasing reserves to calm oil prices.

India will provide diesel to Bangladesh amid a supply shortage spurred by the Middle East conflict, according to reports.

Dhaka has had to resort to fuel rationing since Sunday after facing an energy crisis, AFP reported.

New Delhi will supply 5,000 tonnes of diesel via a pipeline through the Parbatipur border, news agency ANI cited Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) chairman, Muhammed Rezanur Rahman as saying.

“We have an agreement with India, and according to that agreement, India will supply 180,000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh via the pipeline each year. The 5,000 tons of diesel that is arriving now is a part of that agreement,” Rahman told ANI on Tuesday.

India to Supply Diesel to Bangladesh Amid Crisis - ANI

5000 tonnes of diesel will be sent through the Parbatipur border, according to the report.

The supplies are part of an existing agreement, Bangladesh Petroleum Corp Chief Muhammad Rezanur Rahman told the news agency. pic.twitter.com/x9Fkx5HBGF

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 10, 2026

Bangladesh imports 95% of its oil and gas requirements. Panic buying and hoarding have also contributed to the shortage in the South Asian nation following warnings of possible supply disruptions after the Middle East conflict erupted.

Five of the six fertilizer manufacturing facilities in the country have also been shut until March 18, a Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation aide told AFP.

New Delhi-Dhaka bilateral ties, which became strained after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following an uprising in 2024, have been on the mend after the government of Tarique Rehman assumed power in Bangladesh in February.

Bangladesh’s new military intelligence chief, Major General Mohammad Kaiser Rashid Chowdhury, visited New Delhi recently to meet with Indian intelligence heads, in a first significant step to normalize ties between the South Asian neighbors, according to multiple reports in the Indian media.

India has invoked special legislation to ensure adequate gas supplies, which have been disrupted due to the escalating Middle East conflict.

The federal government on Tuesday brought into play the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) to ensure domestic cooking gas supplies for its 1.4 billion population.

The primary objective of the ECA is to protect consumers from unreasonable price spikes and artificial shortages, giving the government powers to regulate production, storage, and transportation of commodities.

The Middle East conflict triggered by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the latter’s retaliation has resulted in shipping activities coming to a virtual halt through the Strait of Hormuz. New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. 

About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments are routed through the vital Strait of Hormuz. The region accounted for about 55% of India’s crude imports, or about 2.74 million barrels per day as of January.

The federal government has directed refineries and petrochemical units to increase production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and divert key hydrocarbon streams to the LPG pool, the Economic Times reported.

Oil refining companies have been directed to absorb the impact of LNG supply disruption to the extent feasible.

The development comes as rising energy costs and supply constraints have forced hotels and restaurants in major cities, including Bengaluru, the country’s software hub, and Mumbai, the financial capital, to announce that operations would be halted or scaled down from Tuesday, according to reports.

Most restaurants have storage capacity available to stock only two to three days of inventory, and hence supply disruptions could quickly impact operations, industry representatives told the PTI news agency.

The Oil Ministry has formed a committee to examine supply issues after a sudden shortage of cooking gas cylinders created panic in the hospitality industry.

Indonesia has inked a deal to buy BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India, Reuters reported on Monday.

BrahMos, backed by the governments of India and Russia, said in 2023 that it was in advanced talks with Jakarta for a deal valued at $200 million to $350 million.

The deal is “part of the modernization of military hardware and defense capabilities, ‌especially ⁠in the maritime sector,” Indonesian Defense Ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirait told the news agency.

BrahMos signed its first foreign deal with Indonesia’s southern neighbor, the Philippines, in 2022.

The joint enterprise, BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., is named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.

The cruise missile has an operational range of at least 290 km, and efforts are underway to develop an entirely indigenous variant with a range of 400 km.

The missile, which can be launched from ships, submarines, land, and air-based missile systems, was first unveiled at the MAKS-2001 airshow.

Testing began in 2001, and joint serial production started in January 2004, primarily aimed at equipping the Indian Navy. India handles the final assembly of the missiles, manufactures launchers, and develops its own command and control systems, complete with software.

In August 2025, India approved defense purchases worth about $7.6 billion, which included BrahMos missiles and armed drones, along with upgrades to other existing platforms.

The US is seeking to control the whole world to prevent the emergence of a multipolar order, the India representative of Iran’s supreme leader has told RT India’s Runjhun Sharma.

The world today is shifting from a US-dominated to a more multipolar order, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi said in an exclusive interview.

Ilahi argued that the philosophy and reason for Washington to attack Iran, similarly as Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, or even Venezuela were attacked, is to stop transformation of the global order, the arrival of multipolarity. But countries such as Russia, China, India and Iran are some of the of the powers whose rise will continue. 

Iran’s good relationship with Russia with China irked many countries, he claimed. 

Ilahi said some colonial era concepts exist even in this era. “The US and Israel think they have right to kill anyone, hijack any president, attack any neighbors. The other countries, they should obey them and they should be under their authority,” he said.

“We were on the table of negotiation. They left the table of negotiation. And I think this war is not a United States war with Iran. This war is not Israel’s war against Iran, but exactly this is private war,” Ilahi said. He charged that this is the war of  “President Trump against Iran and the Prime Minister of Israel against Iran.” 

Ilahi refuted the US claims about Iran’s nuclear program as a central justification for Washington’s military strikes. 

“We declared honestly…that having nuclear weapons is forbidden in Iran. Even Ayatollah Khamenei issued statement and fatwa that having nuclear weapons is haram and is forbidden completely. We don’t want nuclear weapons,” he said.

Ilahi added that all of the country’s nuclear facilities were open for international inspection.

Speaking on Iran’s civilizational ties with India, the supreme leader’s representative said Tehran looks to expand and deepen ties with New Delhi.

India has called for de-escalating tensions in the Middle East region through dialogue and diplomacy. The region is key to India’s energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar stated in the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament, on Monday. 

He also pointed out that the government is closely monitoring the situation, given that more than 10 million Indians live and work in Gulf countries.

“We continue to believe that dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate the tensions,” Jaishankar said. “We are a neighboring region, and have obvious stakes that West Asia remains stable,” he added.

“There are almost one crore [10 million] Indian citizens who live and work in the Gulf nations. In Iran, too, there are a few thousand Indians who are there for study or for employment. The region is key to our energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas,” the foreign minister added.

❗️’India Favours Peace and Urges Return to Dialogue and Diplomacy’ - EAM Jaishankar on West Asia Conflict

‘We advocate de-escalation, restraint and ensuring the safety of civilians, the well-being and security of the Indian community in the region is our priority,’ he added. https://t.co/2zlZ6hnUtJ pic.twitter.com/s6hUAeHLz8

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 9, 2026

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, over 9 million Indian expatriates are in the Middle East countries, nearly 18,000 in Israel, and 10,000 people, predominantly students, in Iran.

Jaishankar was speaking in Parliament against the backdrop of criticism from the Indian opposition over New Delhi’s stance on US and Israeli actions in Iran that triggered the ongoing war.

About 50% of India’s oil supplies and 55% of our LNG are routed through the region. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been heavily impacted by Iran’s threats. The region is a major trade partner for India, accounting for almost $200 billion annually, and brings significant investments into the country, Jaishankar noted. 

Top US officials have defended the rationale behind the temporary waiver of sanctions on purchases of Russian oil for India, amid a surge in oil prices caused by the Middle East conflict.

The US has urged New Delhi to buy Russian oil that is already floating at sea and redirect it to Indian refineries to “tamp down” fears of supply shortages amid the raging Iran war, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an interview with Fox on Sunday.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that the 30-day pause will “allow the millions and millions of barrels of oil that are sitting out on ships to go to Indian refineries.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that India was granted a 30-day waiver to purchase oil from Russia, saying this will “alleviate pressure caused by Iran’s attempt to take global energy hostage.” He also claimed that India stopped buying Russian oil on Washington’s request.

“The Indians had been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did. They were going to substitute it with US oil. But to ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil. We may unsanction other Russian oil,” he said.

“India is still importing Russian oil even [through] February 2026, and Russia is still India’s largest crude oil supplier,” the government’s Press Information Bureau was quoted by NDTV as saying.

Since 2022, India has increased oil purchases from Russia. Before Washington sanctioned two of Russia’s largest oil exporters, Rosneft and Lukoil, last October, India’s monthly imports of Russian crude hit a record high of 1.88 million barrels per day.

According to Kpler data, India’s imports of Russian oil in February 2026 stood at 1.12-1.16 million bpd, making Russia the top supplier despite a 22% drop year-on-year.

The surge in oil prices will not stop the US from waging its war on Iran, President Donald Trump has said, after Brent shot past $100 per barrel on Sunday.

India does not need “permission” from the US or anyone else to purchase Russian oil, its government has said in a statement, cited by local new outlets. Russia has remained the South Asian nation’s biggest crude oil supplier despite external pressure, the governemnt added.

The statement came in the backdrop of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing that Washington will allow India a 30-day waiver to buy Russian crude to stabilize global energy markets amid the conflict with Iran.

Global oil prices have surged by more than 30% as the war approaches the one-week mark and the Strait of Hormuz – a vital energy chokepoint through which about one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies pass – remains closed.

“India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil,” the government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) said, as quoted by NDTV. The statement added that New Delhi would not be relying on “a short-term waiver” for such purchases. Neither had it been affected by previous US attempts to make it abandon Russian energy imports, the statement said. “India is still importing Russian oil even [through] February 2026, and Russia is still India’s largest crude oil supplier,” the PIB said.

🔸India’s energy supply remains secure and stable. Crude oil sources diversified from 27 to 40 countries, ensuring multiple alternative supply routes

🔸In the national interest, India purchases oil from wherever the most competitive and affordable prices are available… https://t.co/CQnjAYym96

— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 7, 2026

The US sanctions approach “does not define India’s policy,” a government official told the Times of India, adding that New Delhi is instead guided by the “affordability, availability, and sustainability” of supplies. Another official called the US statements about the waiver “hollow slogans.”

Washington has long urged New Delhi to halt the imports, with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor saying last month that the White House was using trade talks to push India to buy Venezuelan oil instead.

US President Donald Trump had claimed earlier that New Delhi “agreed to stop” oil imports from Russia. India has never confirmed such a commitment, maintaining what it called “strategic autonomy” in its policy.

The US attack on an Iranian ship returning from a naval exercise hosted by India was a blatant breach of international maritime norms, former Indian diplomat Kanwal Sibal has told RT.

A US submarine sank Iranian Navy frigate the IRIS Dena on Monday, 40 nautical miles off the city of Galle in southwestern Sri Lanka. At least 87 people were killed in the attack. The Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force, with assistance from the Indian Navy, conducted a major rescue operation, saving 32 sailors.

Attacking the unarmed ship returning from the naval exercise in the Indian Ocean was “unnecessary,” former Indian Foreign Secretary Sibal told RT.

“They [the US] were aware the ship was there. They had the plane capable of surveillance. And then they position themself at a spot to make sure the frigate was sunk. It is nothing to boast about,” he said. “If they wanted to attack it, they could have done it when it was close to Iran where the war is taking place,” Sibal said.

India had invited a host of countries, including the US and Iran, for its biennial MILAN naval exercise. The US Navy participated in the drills with a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) from Patrol Squadron, according to an official statement.

Sibal said ships do not come armed for the exercises. “So, it is not as if the Iranian ship was armed to the teeth. It is a bit embarrassing for India since we were the hosts [of the naval exercises],” he said.

The attack also flouted international maritime norms, which stipulate that even in a conflict scenario, sailors in distress should be rescued from a humanitarian point of view, he said.

“After it was hit by the torpedo, the US submarine attacked it again to ensure that it sunk and the lives are lost. And then they have publicized in international media. I don’t think it goes to the credit of the US,” Sibal said. 

The development came days after the US and Israeli militaries launched massive airstrikes on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian commanders. 

The US is looking to expand ties with India but will not allow it to emerge as a strong competitor like China, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has said.

Landau also sounded a warning on how Washington views its ties with New Delhi, emphasizing that the US would not adopt an approach similar to its China policy two decades ago.

“India should understand that we are not going to make the same mistakes that we made with China 20 years ago in terms of saying, ‘Oh, you know, we’re going to let you be able to develop all these markets and then, you know, the next thing we know is you’re beating us in a lot of commercial events,’” Landau said at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics.

The US will ensure trade and economic ties with India are fair to Americans, he said. “Ultimately, we have to be accountable to our own people just as the government of India has to be accountable to its people.”

India-US trade deal negotiations are “almost at the finish line,” Landau added.

#WATCH | Delhi | Addressing the Raisina Dialogue 2026, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says, "We have to be able to explain to our people how we are making stronger again and frankly, we expect other countries to be pursuing their interests. So just as President… pic.twitter.com/lpHlymSTFl

— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2026

Washington views the 2001 decision to facilitate China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a strategic miscalculation that led to an erosion of its industrial clout. The influx of Chinese imports also led to the loss of millions of American manufacturing jobs, according to a US think tank.

The US failed to check Beijing’s state subsidies and non-market practices, enabling China to disrupt a US-led global order through technology transfers in exchange for market access, some policymakers claim.

US-China relations have been strained for years, particularly over economic and technological issues, but US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes last year triggered a full-scale trade war.

Since Trump returned as president, the US has pursued his ‘America First’ approach in bilateral and trade negotiations, including with countries and blocs such as India, China, and the European Union.

In recent months, India has signed a string of trade deals with the UK, Oman, New Zealand, and the EU, as it looks to diversify export markets and reduce reliance on the US as its largest trading partner.

The US has granted India a 30-day waiver to purchase oil from Russia, a top official has said.

The move is aimed at ensuring stability in the global oil market, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, amid a mounting energy crisis as the US-Israeli war with Iran escalates.

“India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of US oil. This stop-gap measure will alleviate pressure caused by Iran’s attempt to take global energy hostage,” Bessent said in a post on X.

He also claimed that the move will not benefit Russia as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea.

US Issues 30-Day Waiver On Sanctions For Russian Oil Purchases By Indian Refiners

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the temporary measure applies only to Russian cargoes already stranded at sea and added that “we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of U.S.… pic.twitter.com/9qkFvl9scq

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 6, 2026

The US earlier claimed that India had agreed to stop oil purchases from Russia when it announced a trade deal with New Delhi in February.

Indian officials have not acknowledged the claim and have repeatedly said the country’s energy purchases are dictated by its national interests.

US President Donald Trump had imposed 25% punitive tariffs on India for buying Russian oil in August 2025, insisting that New Delhi’s purchases were helping fund Russia’s military operation. The levy was waived after the trade deal was announced.

After a Supreme Court verdict struck down the tariffs, the White House initially set a rate at 10% before Trump announced the global rate would be increased to 15%.

India will ensure the availability and affordability of petroleum products for consumers amid the escalating crisis in the Middle East, the country’s Oil Ministry said on Monday.

New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of LNG shipments are routed through the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed off shortly after the beginning of the US/Israeli war on Iran.

Oil purchases by India, the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of crude, ensure global energy security, a top Russian aide had said in February. India became a key market for Russian crude following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

New Delhi has been gradually reducing oil imports from Russia and had sourced more supplies from Gulf nations and the US in January 2026. Russia’s share in India’s oil imports fell to less than 20% for the first time since May 2022, The Hindu reported.

As the situation in Iran worsens, with US and Israeli strikes causing rising casualties and no sign of de‑escalation, hundreds of Indian students and workers stranded in the war-torn country are appealing to the authorities for evacuation.

India has said it is in constant touch with its citizens on the ground and is working to ensure their safety, as air and road movement in Iran has been severely disrupted by the conflict.

Shakeel Ahmad, 45, has had little sleep over the past six days. Sitting in his small apartment in Delhi, the worried father of a 21‑year‑old medical student becomes emotional every time his phone rings. His daughter, in her sixth semester at Islamic Azad University in Tehran, calls him trembling – sometimes with the sound of explosions in the background.

“She told me a missile fell so close to their hostel that the plaster from the roof came crashing down,” Ahmad says. “We sent our daughter when everything was normal. Today, the situation in Iran is so bad that I cannot even describe how she is surviving there.”

“They are seeing blasts right outside their windows. They are terrified,” he adds.

For Ahmad’s family, pursuing a medical degree abroad was a hopeful decision.

“She qualified for the National Entrance Examination Test (NEET), but studying medicine in India is too expensive for us,” he said.

Like Ahmad, many other parents in India are waiting for some positive news about the evacuation of their children. Most of the Indian students in Iran are from Jammu and Kashmir, with around 1,200 students from the region studying there.

For Shaheena Jan, a resident of Srinagar, she is living between disconnected calls with her daughter stuck in Iran. “My daughter remains trapped in Iran in her hostel. She was to appear for exams, but now she only pleads please get us out,” Shaheena says, her voice breaking into tears. “The explosion could hit their building at any moment.”

“I managed to get one daughter home, but my other daughter remains behind as the university refused to postpone exams,” said Asif Ahmad, a Kashmir resident.

Some parents complained that after the advisory, there was too much rush for tickets, and they were unable to book one. “Previously, the war was not so intense, but now the situation is truly dire. Hospitals and police stations are being targeted,” a student’s parent, Muhammad Ashraf, told RT.

“We can’t even reach [our children] consistently because the communication infrastructure is down. They are terrified and alone.”

Diaspora Worries

The war is not restricted to Iran and Israel. It has spread across the entire Middle East, with worries among the people as millions of Indians live in these countries, while Iran continues to be the epicenter of it.

Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), issued a formal statement on Tuesday addressing the mounting anxiety over the safety of millions of Indians in the Gulf region.

“We had expressed our deep concern at the commencement of the conflict in Iran and the Gulf region on 28 February 2026. Even at that time, India had urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritize the safety of civilians. Unfortunately, in the holy month of Ramadan, the situation in the region has deteriorated significantly and continuously,” the official said in the statement.

He noted that nearly 10 million Indian citizens live and work in the Gulf region. “Their safety and well-being is of utmost priority. We cannot be impervious to any development that negatively affects them.”

India’s Foreign Ministry has activated a special 24/7 control room and is using its existing network of foreign missions to issue real-time advisories. 

New Delhi maintained it was “clearly in favor of an early end to the conflict,” despite not having officially reacted to US-Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, and his family members, including a baby. 

Since Khamenei’s assassination, the crisis has escalated sharply, with retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting major logistics, energy, and business hubs across the region. The prospect of a full‑scale regional conflict has shifted from a distant risk to a harsh reality. 

Sentiments in India 

The killing of Iran’s supreme leader has unleashed a wave of anger and grief across India, with the minority Shia community and religious leaders spearheading intense street protests.  

In New Delhi, demonstrations were held at Jantar Mantar, along with smaller rallies in other parts of the city. In Lucknow’s old city, Shia-majority neighborhoods such as Hussainabad and Nakhas came to a standstill: shops were shuttered and black flags flew from homes and imambargahs.  

In Kashmir, the reaction was far larger, with thousands taking to the streets to express their outrage. To maintain order, the administration has imposed a strict lockdown, closing all schools and colleges until March 7. Mobile internet speeds have been throttled to 2G, and security forces remain on high alert across the Valley.

“Our hearts are heavy because we have lost a voice that stood for the oppressed, but our mourning is peaceful,” said Shafat Hussain, a young protester in Srinagar. 

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Umar Abdullah expressed his concern over the unfolding developments in Iran and said that he was following the safety of students caught in the country.

“I’m deeply concerned about the unfolding developments in Iran, including the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. I appeal to all communities to remain calm, uphold peace, and avoid any actions that could lead to tension or unrest. We must also ensure that those who are mourning in Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to grieve peacefully.”

Abdullah noted that the police and officials should exercise “utmost restraint” and refrain from using force or restrictive measures. The government of Jammu and Kashmir is in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian government to ensure the safety and well-being of residents, including students, currently in Iran, the minister said.

India has denied a claim that US naval ships are using its ports amid the war in Iran.

Earlier this week, former US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor told One America News Network (OAN) that Washington was “falling back” on India.

“All of our bases have been destroyed,” Macgregor said. “Our harbor installations are destroyed. We are actually having to fall back on India and Indian ports, which is less than ideal; that is what the navy says.”

His comments, which came a few days before the US sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast, were firmly rejected by India.

“Claims being made on OAN, a US-based channel that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false,” the Indian Foreign Ministry’s fact check handle posted on X on Wednesday night. “We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments.”

Fake News Alert!

Claims being made on OAN, a US based channel that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments. pic.twitter.com/xiFWnkoXBk

— MEA FactCheck (@MEAFactCheck) March 4, 2026

A US submarine torpedoed and sank the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing 87 of its crew.

The vessel was returning from Visakhapatnam, India after participating in the International Fleet Review and the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review and Milan-2026 multilateral maritime exercise.

In 2016, India and the US signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), a pact that enables reciprocal, case-by-case logistical support, refueling, and replenishment for armed forces.

“Iranian missiles have pushed the US navy close to Indian waters,” geopolitical expert Zorawar Daulet Singh wrote on X. “This is precisely one of the scenarios for which the US signed the LEMOA (logistics agreement) with India. But the repercussions for India to be even an inadvertent war party in an aggressive and unprovoked intervention by the US would be dangerous.”

Journalist and author Praveen Swami also commented on the US actions in what many consider ‘India’s backyard.’ “The decent thing – though not legally obligatory – would have been to notify India and Iran that the IRNS Dina could be targeted while sailing home from Visakhapatnam,” he wrote on X. “Then, its captain may have chosen to shelter in a neutral port.”

India has called for a “cessation of hostilities” in the Middle East.

India’s main opposition party has questioned the government’s stance on the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in attacks by the US and Israel.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, the lower House of Parliament, asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorses the assassination of Khamenei.

New Delhi has refrained from commenting on the death of the Iranian supreme leader, though Modi and the Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the escalation of violence in the Middle East in the aftermath of the attack.

“PM Modi must speak up. Does he support the assassination of a head of state as a way to define the world order? Silence now diminishes India’s standing in the world,” Gandhi posted on X.

“When the targeted killing of a foreign leader draws no clear defence of sovereignty or international law from our country, and impartiality is abandoned, it raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of our foreign policy. Silence, in this instance, is not… pic.twitter.com/LJECs5jPHR

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 3, 2026

“When the targeted killing of a foreign leader draws no clear defense of sovereignty or international law from our country, and impartiality is abandoned, it raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of our foreign policy. Silence, in this instance, is not neutral,” Gandhi said in his post.

India has cut natural gas supplies to industries in anticipation of supply constraints, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The move was made after top LNG producer Qatar halted production, according to sources quoted by the agency.

QatarEnergy, the world’s largest LNG producer, said in a statement on Monday that it had ceased production after drone attacks on its operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City.

At the same time, LNG tankers have stopped transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of global oil and gas shipments. Iran has threatened to target ships passing through the critical maritime choke point amid Tehran’s conflict with the US and Israel.

Across the Gulf, most energy sites have also been hit or temporarily shut, with producers suspending parts of their operations as a precaution. Pipeline alternatives are limited and shipping routes through the area are stalling, as traders price in the risk that supply lines could remain disrupted for an extended period.

India’s Oil Ministry said on Monday that New Delhi will ensure energy availability amid the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

Experts interviewed by RT suggest that the latest crisis in the region – triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – is likely to impact India as its major supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are routed through Middle East.

India depends on imports for 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas needs, with about 50% of India’s oil supplies and 55% of LNG routed through the Strait of Hormuz. 

European benchmark gas futures surged by around 50% on Monday – their biggest single-day move since March 2022 – after LNG tankers largely stopped transiting the strait.

New Delhi will ensure the availability and affordability of petroleum products for consumers amid the escalating crisis in the Middle East, its Oil Ministry said on Monday.

The supply situation for crude oil, LPG, and other petroleum products has been reviewed with senior officials from the Oil Ministry and public sector companies, according to a statement.

“We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation,” the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in an X post.

In view of ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East, the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas reviewed the supply situation for crude oil, LPG, and other petroleum products with senior officials from the Ministry and PSUs.

We are continuously monitoring the evolving… pic.twitter.com/N4tZHktXSM

— Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas #MoPNG (@PetroleumMin) March 2, 2026

New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of LNG shipments are routed through the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The Middle East countries accounted for about 55% of India’s crude imports, or about 2.74 million barrels per day as of January, according to the Hindu Business Line.

Iran, which holds the world’s third-largest oil reserves and second-largest natural gas reserves, has threatened to target ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical maritime choke point through which nearly 20% of global oil shipments pass. 

“The closing of the Strait of Hormuz will have big implications for India,” Ajay Shrivastava, former Director General of Foreign Trade, told RT India. “It will be difficult to reroute or replace that volume [of oil], especially for Asian economies, especially with sanctions on Russian oil,” he said.

Oil prices could surge to $95 per barrel or even above if the war becomes protracted, he said. “There are no other alternatives. If the war continues beyond a week, it will be really difficult times,” he said.

“If this conflict [becomes] prolonged, there will be a crisis in energy supply as well as prices. So its impact is going to be [felt] on India,” he said.

According to Pramit Pal Chaudhuri from the consultancy Eurasia Group, India has close ties with Iran, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and many Gulf nations, and defines each relationship distinctly. “[India] basically says we will maintain a relationship with each of you with a certain focus,” he said in an interview with RT India. 

India is looking to revive large purchases of Russian crude amid the ongoing crisis, just weeks after Washington pressured it to scale down imports, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The Middle East crisis will affect India as its major supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are routed through the region, a former envoy to Iran has told RT India.

The US and Israel attacked Iran over the weekend, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic and plunging the region into chaos.

“India has good relations with countries on both sides of the Gulf," Dinkar Srivastava, a former ambassador to Iran, told RT India. “Our foreign minister has already spoken to all concerned and asked the Israelis for de-escalation.”

Srivatsava said India has a 9 million-strong diaspora in the region. “About 50% of our oil supplies and 55% of our LNG come through this region,” he added.

Global oil prices jumped by as much as 13% on Monday following intense US-Israeli strikes on Iran, as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was heavily impacted.

“So we will be affected, as also the rest of the world, because oil and gas are fungible commodities. So an increase in prices in one place affects prices elsewhere,” Srivastava said.

Asked whether oil prices are set to peak like during the past crises, Srivastava said this was a distinct possibility.

“In 1979, there was a 10% reduction in oil supply due to the Iranian revolution. In case this war continues, the disruption will be much greater, because the Gulf region accounts for more than 20% of the global oil production and exports,” he said.

“This is coming at a time when Russian crude oil is under [Western] sanctions. So it will exacerbate the shortage,” the former envoy added.

Prices are therefore likely to rise significantly beyond the current level, he said.

India and Canada have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties, strained after the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023, and have entered into pacts to boost cooperation in critical minerals, nuclear, and solar energy.

New Delhi and Ottawa signed a series of deals during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the Indian capital on Monday.

Canadian firm Cameco Corp. will supply India with uranium in a $1.9 billion deal as the South Asian nation aims to expand nuclear power generation.

“In civil nuclear energy, we have reached a landmark deal for long-term uranium supply. We will also work together on small modular reactors and advanced reactors,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a joint press meet with Carney.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and her Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar exchanged memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on critical mineral cooperation, boosting renewable energy, and cultural cooperation.

❗️PM Carney: 'There Has Been More Engagement Between 🇮🇳 & 🇨🇦 In The Past Year Than Last Two Decades Combined'

"This is not merely the renewal of a relationship. It is the expansion of the valued partnership" between two "confident" countries, he added. https://t.co/56oltsqJac pic.twitter.com/wzoZPms4RZ

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 2, 2026

“We’re deepening our cooperation in clean energy, expanding collaboration across wind, solar, and hydrogen because Canada has big plans as well,” Carney said.

Ottawa and New Delhi also agreed on the terms of reference for a trade deal to improve market access and investments, which aims to double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030.

The countries will also increase defense cooperation, including maritime security and naval activities. Thirteen new partnerships between universities of the two countries were announced as part of the launch of the Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy.

Relations between India and Canada deteriorated after the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023. During a meeting with then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the event, Modi raised concerns about the activities of alleged anti-India extremist groups in Canada.

The relationship reached a low in October 2024, when Ottawa alleged that Indian diplomats were involved in the targeting of Sikh activists in Canada, resulting in a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomatic staff. India has repeatedly rejected the charges.

During Modi’s talks with Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit in Canada last June, the leaders decided to reset ties. New Delhi and Ottawa have since agreed to mutually increase staff numbers at their respective diplomatic missions.

Last month, senior Canadian officials reportedly said Ottawa no longer links the Indian government with crimes committed in Canada. 

India is looking at once again increasing its purchases of Russian crude as the war in the Middle East threatens to hit supplies in the world’s third-largest oil importer, Bloomberg reported on Monday. 

State refiners in the South Asian nation held talks with government officials over the weekend in New Delhi to work on contingency plans to meet requirements since the supplies through the Strait of Hormuz have almost stopped, according to the report.

India is now considering buying Russian cargoes that are loitering near its waters, the news outlet said, citing people familiar with the matter. There are believed to be about 9.5 million barrels of Russian oil in tankers in Asian waters, according to the report.

Facing pressure from Washington, New Delhi reported buying only one million barrels per day of Russian oil in February, its lowest level since September 2022, according to the report. 

US President Donald Trump then signed an executive order eliminating the 25% tariff imposed on India for buying crude from Russia.

Trump has claimed that the tariffs were reduced after India “agreed to stop buying Russian oil.” New Delhi has not acknowledged any such commitment. Moscow has said it has no reason to believe India has revised its approach on the issue.

Last month the US Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from various countries ruling that they were “unconstitutional.”

The US president then decided to impose a 15% tariff on imports to the US, the maximum allowed by law.

Officials from India’s Oil Ministry are pushing the country’s Foreign Ministry to seek some room for maneuver from the US, so that New Delhi doesn’t face a reimposition of a punitive tariff by Washington, according to the Bloomberg report.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for an “early cessation of hostilities” in a call with Benjamin Netanyahu, as the violence in the Middle East continues to escalate.

The US and Israel attacked Iran over the weekend, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting retaliation by the latter.

Modi said in a post on X on Sunday that he discussed the situation in the Middle East with Netanyahu.

“Conveyed India’s concerns over recent developments and emphasized the safety of civilians as a priority,” he said. “India reiterates the need for an early cessation of hostilities.”

❗️PM Modi Holds Call With Israeli Counterpart Netanyahu

The Indian PM had revealed earlier on X that he had spoken to the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and had ‘strongly condemned the attacks on the UAE.’ pic.twitter.com/MGAqu37weJ

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 1, 2026

Modi was in Israel on a two-day official visit last week.

There are more than 9 million Indian expatriates in the Middle East and nearly 18,000 in Israel, according to official figures. 

Modi also spoke with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, regarding the situation.

“I strongly condemned the attacks on the UAE and offered my heartfelt condolences for the human losses resulting from them. India stands in solidarity with the UAE during these difficult times,” he said in another post on X.

The UAE hosts the largest number of Indian expats in the Gulf, numbering more than 3 million. Official estimates put the number of Indians in Iran at 9,000-10,000.

  “I thanked him for his care for the Indian community residing in the UAE. We support de-escalation, regional peace, security, and stability,” Modi said in the post.

The Indian prime minister also chaired the Cabinet Committee on Security on Sunday to review the evolving situation in the Middle East and reviewed the difficulties faced by Indian travelers transiting the region.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers have been stranded across the Middle East following airspace closures.

Russia, China, and several nations have condemned the US and Israeli attacks.

The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has turned the country into an Indian “colony,” Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said in the aftermath of Islamabad’s military strikes on its western neighbor.

In a post on X on Friday, Asif said Pakistan and Afghanistan are in a state of “open war.” His post came hours after Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul.

“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region,” Asif said. “However, the Taliban turned Afghanistan into a colony of India. They gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism.”

“Pakistan made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries. It engaged in full-fledged diplomacy. But the Taliban became a proxy for India,” he alleged.

‘Now It Is Open War Between Us And You’ Pakistan Defense Minister Says In Message To Taliban

Pak Def Min Khawaja M. Asif said Islamabad’s “cup of patience has overflowed,” accusing the Taliban of turning Afghanistan into “a proxy for India” as cross-border tensions escalate. pic.twitter.com/59aUqHaNTh

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 27, 2026

“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you (Afghanistan),” Asif added. 

India has yet to respond to the latest charges. Islamabad has also accused New Delhi of fanning the flames of its conflict with Kabul – allegations which India has repeatedly denied.

In August, 2021, a bus explosion that killed 13 people, including nine Chinese workers, was also blamed by Islamabad on India’s external intelligence service – the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) – and Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS).

As tensions escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the neighbors to resolve their conflict through dialogue. “In the month of RAMADAN, Afghanistan and Pakistan should settle differences through neighborly DIALOGUE,” he said in a post on X.

Iran considers India’s ties with Israel to be “unfortunate,” Tehran’s foreign minister has said.

Abbas Araghchi told an Indian television channel on Wednesday that Tehran does not find it appropriate to deal with a “genocidal regime,” while responding to a question on how India balances its ties with Israel and Iran.

“Israel is the one who has destroyed the whole of Gaza. 70,000 people have been killed and this is not a claim this is a fact. It is a genocide,” he told India Today. “Of course it is up to our friends in India to decide for themselves.”

His comments come during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel.

“I hope that while Prime Minister Modi is there, he can also address the question of Palestinians and their right to self-determination,” Araghchi said.

Modi arrived on a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday amid protests over allegations of genocide in Gaza following the war that began on October 7, 2023.

The Indian leader hailed his country’s ties with Israel in a speech to its parliament on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is keen to bring India into a proposed ‘Hexagon of Alliances’ targeting what he terms as radical adversaries.

Iran’s relations with India remain strong despite a host of geopolitical challenges, a senior official told RT India in January.

The Modi government has delinked India’s ties with Palestine, Arab nations, and its relations with Israel.

Modi’s political opponents in India are also upset over the violence in Gaza in the backdrop of his trip to Israel.

Ottawa is no longer linking the Indian government to violent crimes, according to a media report from a press briefing which was held ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to Mumbai and New Delhi.

Carney is slated to arrive in India on his first official visit on February 27 and will be there until March 2.

This reflects a major shift in the Canadian government’s perspective, the Toronto Star reported.

“We have a very robust diplomatic engagement, including between national security advisers, and I think we can say we’re confident that that activity is not continuing,” the report quoted a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying.

Prime Minister Carney will travel to India, Australia, and Japan, where he will work to forge new partnerships to unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses across trade, energy, technology, and defence. Learn more: https://t.co/jiIYaBvsC6

— Prime Minister of Canada (@CanadianPM) February 23, 2026

“I really don’t think we’d be taking this trip if we thought these kinds of activities were continuing,” the official said, according to the paper.

Relations between India and Canada deteriorated after the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023.

During a meeting with then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the event, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns about the activities of alleged anti-India extremist groups in Canada.

The relationship reached a low in October 2024, when Ottawa alleged that Indian diplomats were involved in the targeting of Sikh activists in Canada, resulting in a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomatic staff. India has repeatedly rejected the charges.

During Modi’s talks with Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit in Canada last June, the leaders decided to reset ties. New Delhi and Ottawa have since agreed to mutually increase staff numbers at their respective diplomatic missions.

A small number of Sikh extremists in Canada continue to use the country as a base for funding political violence in India, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service said last June. These groups are fighting to carve out a country named Khalistan from the Indian state of Punjab.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed his country’s ties with Israel in a speech to its parliament, in which he invoked civilizational traditions and philosophical parallels.

In his address to the Knesset, the first by an Indian prime minister, Modi also described defense and security as “important pillars” of bilateral ties.

“In November last year, we signed an MOU on defense cooperation,” Modi said. “In today’s uncertain world, a strong defence partnership between trusted partners like India and Israel is of vital importance.”

India has reportedly entered into arms deals with Israel worth $8.6 billion this year.

Addressing the Knesset. Do watch my speech. @KnessetENG https://t.co/a8V6Ah5HwY

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 25, 2026

Modi said that long before establishing bilateral ties, the countries were linked by a relationship that dates back 2,000 years.

“Jewish merchants traveled across sea routes that connected the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean. They came seeking opportunity and dignity. And, in India, they became one of us,” he said.

“The Bene Israel of Maharashtra, the Cochin Jews of Keralam, the Baghdadi Jews of Kolkata and Mumbai, and the Bnei Menashe of the North East have enriched India,” Modi added.

The Indian leader said the countries will also work closely in different formats, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the I2U2 framework between India, Israel, the UAE, and the US.

“Soon, we will be among the top three economies globally. At the same time, Israel is a powerhouse of innovation and technological leadership,” Modi said.

He added that bilateral goods trade has grown manifold, though it does not reflect the full scope of opportunity. “Our teams are working hard to negotiate an ambitious Free Trade Agreement. It will unlock the vast untapped potential in our trade relationship,” Modi said.

He referred to India’s trade pacts with the European Union, the UK, the UAE, and Oman.

“We are also working with Israel on creating cross-border financial linkages using our Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI),” Modi said.

India’s DPI has been built around the critical domains of digital identity, payments, banking, and health.

Modi also hailed Israeli expertise in precision irrigation and water management, and said this has transformed agricultural practices in India.

India is assembling a missile arsenal on a scale and with a degree of strategic depth that places it among the most consequential military powers of the emerging multipolar order. Its security calculus is defined by the requirement to sustain credible deterrence against two nuclear-armed states simultaneously: Pakistan to the west, bound to India through a history of partition, territorial disputes, and recurring military crises, and China to the north and east, whose expanding conventional and strategic capabilities intersect with unresolved border tensions. Within this compressed and highly militarized environment, missile development has assumed structural importance in national defense planning.

Over several decades, New Delhi has advanced from fielding limited-range battlefield systems to deploying a layered architecture that includes short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, intercontinental-range platforms, sea-based nuclear delivery systems, and supersonic cruise missiles adaptable to land, sea, and air launch configurations. 

India’s contemporary missile posture rests upon decades of sustained technological development that extends beyond purely military applications. Since 1994, the country has possessed the capability to place payloads into orbit using domestically developed launch vehicles, becoming the eighth nation to independently deploy satellites. This achievement emerged from earlier cooperation with the Soviet Union in the 1970s on satellite creation, followed by the gradual consolidation of indigenous design, engineering, and manufacturing capacities. The resulting industrial base now enables Indian companies to produce a wide spectrum of ballistic missile systems, including long-range platforms designed for intercontinental reach, with current production priorities focused on systems capable of ranges up to 8,000 kilometers.

Such capabilities reflect an integrated technological ecosystem in which civilian space launch experience, propulsion research, guidance systems, and materials engineering contribute directly to strategic missile development. The accumulation of this expertise has permitted India to advance through successive generations of ballistic systems, expanding both range and payload sophistication while refining survivability and operational flexibility.

India’s land-based ballistic missile forces constitute the central pillar of its strategic deterrent architecture, having evolved through a sequence of progressively more capable systems developed over several decades. The first successful national project in this domain was the Prithvi SS-150 operational-tactical missile system, designed with a range of 150 kilometers and conceptually comparable to the Soviet SCUD platform. The Prithvi conducted its first flight in 1988, and multiple variants remain in service today, with ranges extending to approximately 250 kilometers. Although capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the system is primarily intended for conventional use in limited theaters of operation, including border regions adjacent to Pakistan-administered Kashmir and China’s Tibet region.

The requirement to hold targets at greater depth within Pakistan and China led to the launch of the Agni program in the 1980s, focused on the development of long-range solid-fuel ballistic missiles. The Agni-I, which first flew in 1989, offers a range of approximately 1,200 kilometers and is equipped with a nuclear warhead. At least 70 such missiles are deployed, supported by mobile launch platforms mounted on trucks or rail systems, enabling flexible basing and survivability across Indian territory.

Further range expansion was achieved with the introduction of the Agni-II in 2002, extending strike capability to approximately 2,500 kilometers. This mobile system, derived from the Agni-I design lineage, provides coverage against targets in central and western China while maintaining the operational flexibility associated with road- and rail-mobile deployment. Continued development within the program produced the Agni-III by 2006, with a range of up to 5,000 kilometers, establishing a robust regional deterrent framework.

Through the layered development of the Prithvi and successive Agni systems, India has constructed a land-based missile force that spans tactical, intermediate, and intercontinental ranges, forming the core of its deterrent posture.

The naval leg: completing the nuclear triad

The maritime component of India’s strategic forces has been developed to provide a survivable second-strike capability anchored in sea-based nuclear platforms. This effort materialized through the induction of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines under the Arihant-class submarine program, marking a decisive step toward the operationalization of a full nuclear triad. The lead vessel, INS Aridhaman, is expected to enter service in April-May of this year following an extended period of design, testing, and sea trials, establishing the foundational infrastructure for continuous at sea deterrence patrols.

The induction of additional submarines, including INS Aridhaman, reflects a sustained effort to expand fleet size and improve patrol sustainability, reinforcing the credibility of sea-based deterrence through redundancy and operational depth. As these assets integrate into the command structure of the Indian Navy, they provide a continuously deployable platform capable of withstanding a first strike and ensuring retaliatory capacity.

Through the deployment of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines armed with progressively longer-range SLBMs, India has established the maritime leg of its nuclear triad, embedding survivability, mobility, and strategic endurance into the architecture of its deterrent forces.

DRDO and the doctrine of technological sovereignty

The institutional backbone of India’s strategic missile and defense programs rests with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has overseen the coordinated development of propulsion systems, guidance technologies, reentry vehicles, and delivery platforms across multiple generations of strategic systems. Operating through an extensive network of laboratories and research centers, DRDO has functioned as the principal integrator of scientific research, industrial production, and military requirements, ensuring that critical technologies remain under national control.

The emphasis on technological sovereignty has also shaped procurement and production policy, with a sustained priority placed on domestic industrial participation and the localization of critical components. Through close coordination between research institutions, state-owned enterprises, and private-sector manufacturers, DRDO has cultivated a vertically integrated ecosystem capable of supporting both civilian space-launch activities and advanced military applications.

And it is DRDO that is the Indian participant in the joint Russian-Indian BrahMos project.

BrahMos: the flagship of Indo-Russian cooperation

BrahMos is a joint venture between Russia and India, and is regarded as one of the most successful examples of modern military-technical cooperation. Russia’s Oniks missiles are produced using Indian components through the joint enterprise BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. The name ‘BrahMos’ is derived from the names of the Brahmaputra River and the Moskva River, symbolizing the shared national interests of the two countries. On the Russian side, the project involves the NPO Mashinostroyeniya rocket design bureau that produces Oniks missiles.

Designed to be versatile and launched from various platforms – ships, submarines,  land and air-based missile systems – the BrahMos missile was first unveiled at the MAKS-2001 airshow. Testing began in 2001, and joint serial production started in January 2004, primarily aimed at equipping the Indian Navy. India handles the final assembly of the missiles, manufactures launchers, and develops its own command and control systems complete with software.

The BrahMos missile is a supersonic cruise missile powered by a solid-fuel booster and a ramjet engine. It is stored in (and launched from) an 8.9-meter long transport-launch container and weighs about three tons. Its operational range is at least 290 km, complying with international missile technology export restrictions. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop an entirely indigenous variant with a range of 400 km. The missile flies at supersonic speeds (exceeding Mach 2.8) and carries a penetrating cumulative warhead weighing up to 300 kg, making it highly effective against ships of any class.

Following deployment on naval vessels, BrahMos missiles have also been integrated into several regiments equipped with mobile ground launchers. Furthermore, the missile is capable of striking not only ships but also land-based radar-contrast targets. BrahMos missiles have been successfully employed during recent skirmishes between India and Pakistan.

Russian systems and the hypersonic horizon

But that’s not all. It’s quite likely that the next phase of the BrahMos project could involve a joint development of a missile system based on Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile. Whether this will evolve into the BrahMos-II project remains to be seen, but it’s noteworthy that Zircon missiles are developed by the same Russian design bureau involved in the BrahMos program.

Additionally, India’s air defense arsenal includes advanced Russian S-400 missile defense systems. These systems are capable of striking ground targets at ranges of up to 300 kilometers. The contract for their delivery was signed in 2018. S-400 systems demonstrated exceptional performance in the 2025 conflict. This significantly increased India’s interest in acquiring additional units and in the future, the country may also acquire the more advanced S-500 system.

The coming months will reveal whether there are serious prospects for further collaboration or if India will focus solely on developing its own missile systems. India aims to maintain an independent approach to military-technical cooperation, which rarely involves straightforward arms purchases; instead, India often insists on assembly or local production to gain access to foreign technologies. We will see how this collaboration evolves, and perhaps will even witness new joint missile projects emerging from these efforts.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived on a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday amid protests over allegations of genocide in Gaza.

Modi is slated to deliver a speech in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

Netanyahu is keen to bring Modi and India into a proposed ‘Hexagon of Alliances’, a strategic pet initiative of the Israeli leader aimed at targeting what he terms as radical adversaries.

Modi himself has championed causes close to opponents of radical schools of thought, but may not play ball on Netanyahu’s outreach, as it could pose difficult geopolitical constraints to New Delhi’s Arab partnerships.

Balancing act

India has enjoyed warm ties with many Gulf nations but has had traditionally lukewarm links with Israel. New Delhi recognized Israel in 1950, but it took more than four decades to establish full diplomatic relations – in 1992.

It was during Modi’s first visit to Israel in 2017 that ties began to warm up between New Delhi and West Jerusalem. The relationship was then given an upgrade to a strategic partnership.

PM @narendramodi arrived in Israel a short while ago. In a warm gesture, he was received by PM @netanyahu and Mrs. Netanyahu at the airport. pic.twitter.com/zFVZdZuWXl

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 25, 2026

The main thrust of the Modi government’s Israeli initiative has been defense, communication, and trade ties in an essential balancing act that Modi governments have had to perform in order to manage the sensitivities of Arab allies as much as Israeli suitors.

In business terms, Indian direct investment to Israel increased significantly from 2000 to 2025, including the 2022 acquisition of the port of Haifa, Israel’s largest, by the Adani Group.

During the period, India ranked as Israel’s second-largest Asian trade partner, with bilateral commerce dominated by diamonds, petroleum, and chemicals. Commerce gradually expanded to electronics, communications, medical equipment, and high-tech products.

Netanyahu’s ‘Hexagon’ initiative

The Israeli leader envisages a bloc comprising Israel, India, Greece, Cyprus, and as yet unnamed Arab and African nations that focuses on trade and security.

But Netanyahu’s broader aim is to forge a coalition against what he terms the broader Shia and Sunni axis, with Iran at the core.

Iran has long been considered a traditional Indian ally, one which New Delhi cannot dump for the sake of Israel, without ruffling feathers with its international friends, including Moscow. Russia, it should be noted, is also a traditional ally of India.

Despite perceived fundamental ideological opposition to such radical outfits, Modi is likely not inclined to be caught in the crossfire between these geopolitical foes.

The Modi dispensation would instead go all out to secure the cooperation of Israel in all sectors, ranging from trade to technology, but is unlikely to openly thrust itself into the vortex of a raging antagonism between Israel and its foes that is at the core of the conflict that has been engulfing the Middle East.

Modi will offer Netanyahu all the attention at the leaders’ discussions that will be held at Fattal Lounge, Ben-Gurion Airport. Indian envoy to Israel J P Singh is on record as saying the talks there are expected to be “very free-flowing” and will cover “bilateral, plus regional and global issues.” The meeting is a closed-door one, open only to official photographers.

Modi’s scheduled Knesset speech is Netanyahu’s gift of attention, making Modi the first Indian prime minister to have that distinction and placing him in a group with US President Donald Trump, late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Argentine President Javier Milei.

Israel has entered into arms deals worth $8.6 billion this year. Now defense talks will happen, but the sides are also pushing for a free trade pact, which may take shape this year itself.  

Opposition roadblocks

The opposition in Israel as well as India are up in arms against the Modi visit, though for fundamentally different reasons.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid has said his bloc will boycott the address as Knesset chair Amir Ohana has not invited Supreme Court President Issac Amit. Backdoor diplomacy to solve this issue could happen, as the boycotting bloc doesn’t consider Modi an adversary.

Unlike the Israeli opposition, Modi’s political opponents in India are fuming over the alleged genocide in Gaza. Ideological opposition to Israel and overwhelming backing for Palestine is at the core of this political stance. But the most vehement criticism of the Indian prime minister’s Israel trip has come from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which holds sway in a southern state where local polls are to be held in May.

Modi's embrace of Zionist Israel amidst its relentless genocidal assault on Palestine is a betrayal of India's anti-colonial legacy and our long-standing position in support of the right to self determination of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed by UN resolutions that India has…

— M A Baby (@MABABYCPIM) February 24, 2026

The Palestine issue is a vote-grabber in the state, hence the visible posturing by the ruling party that is desperate to maintain dominance in the only state in which it is in power. The main opposition Congress is mostly muted in its criticism, with only a lower-profile lawmaker voicing opposition to the controversial trip.

Thus, opposition to an Israel visit by an Indian prime minister cannot be strident in Modi’s government, which has enjoyed the unflinching backing of its Hindu majority. As long as Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party hold sway over large swaths of the population and demography, the protests linked to the Palestine issue cannot attract nationwide attention to inflame political passions.

Criticism of Modi’s embrace of Israel has thus only been subtly camouflaged for the optics of a votebank, and not to suit a larger political arena.

The US has announced steep new tariffs on solar cells and panels from India, Indonesia, and Laos in order to support domestic producers.

In a statement on Tuesday, the US Commerce Department set preliminary duties on solar imports from companies in the three Asian nations.

The countries have been accused of unfairly subsidizing local manufacturers, according to Reuters.

The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade had demanded an investigation into the subsidies, saying a probe was needed to protect US manufacturing.

The preliminary duties have been determined in accordance with the volume in which solar equipment is imported.

Accordingly, Indian imports will be charged 126%, Indonesian shipments 86% to 143%, and a 81% rate has been set for Laos, Bloomberg reported.

STORY | US announces preliminary 126% countervailing duty on imports of certain Indian solar goods

The US has announced preliminary countervailing duty of 125.87 per cent on imports of certain Indian solar goods, alleging that the products are unfairly subsidised by New Delhi.… pic.twitter.com/VgIC0zdDZR

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 25, 2026

The US Commerce Department is simultaneously conducting an antidumping duty probe of solar cells imported from India, Indonesia, and Laos.

These three nations accounted for $4.5 billion in US solar imports, or nearly two-thirds of the total, according to US government trade data.

According to an official order, US solar imports from India increased to $792.6 million in 2024 from $83.86 million in 2022.

India, along with Indonesia and Laos, accounted for 57% of US solar module imports in the first half of 2025, according to Bloomberg.

The steep rates will make the US market mostly unviable for Indian solar panel manufacturers, Citi said in a research note.

These duties are different from the 10% tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on all countries from February 24, after the Supreme Court last week struck down most of the earlier tariffs he had implemented.

The court declared that Trump exceeded his authority when he invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) last year to justify tariffs against almost every country in the world in April.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to upgrade a large number of its Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft with Russian assistance, the New Indian Express reported on Wednesday.

The move comes amid plans to procure a fifth-generation stealth fighter; Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 has reportedly emerged as the top contender.

The IAF’s proposed plan to upgrade its Su-30MKI fighters under the Super Sukhoi program is waiting for a nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), according to the report.

The Super Sukhoi upgrade proposal is limited to 84 planes. The IAF is seeking another means of upgrading the rest of its fleet of Su-30MKI jets – around 175 aircraft.

A top-level delegation from Russia recently visited a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility, which manufactures Sukhoi aircraft under license from Moscow.

New Delhi’s initiative to engage with Moscow is reportedly aimed at offsetting the longer duration normally associated with local upgrades – HAL-led initiatives normally take seven years after approval is received.

Reliance on domestic upgrades alone may push execution to the next decade, an unidentified source was quoted as saying in the report, explaining the reason for the move.

The Su-30MKI is the India-specific variant of the Russian Su-30, which was inducted into the IAF in 2002.

Talks between Moscow and New Delhi on manufacturing Sukhoi Su-57 aircraft in India have reached an advanced stage, Vadim Badekha, CEO of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), said on the sidelines of the Wings India aviation exhibition in January.

The talks revolve around the production of the Su-57 aircraft in India at facilities currently used to produce the Su-30 aircraft, and the maximum use of local industry and systems.

Moscow offered full licensed production of the Su-57 in India at the Dubai Airshow in November, 2025, along with the unrestricted transfer of technology – a level of access no Western defense partner has ever offered to New Delhi.

About 60% of the Indian military’s hardware is currently of Russian origin.

India has unveiled a new anti-terrorism policy proposing a broad framework aimed at tackling criminal hackers and nation-states that target it through cyberattacks.

The policy aims to deal with all terrorist acts and deny access to funds, weapons, and safe havens to terrorists, their financiers, and their supporters, according to The Hindu.

“The threat of state and non-state actors misusing drones and robotics for lethal purposes remains another area of concern,” the Indian Home Ministry said in the policy framework document.

The ministry added that there is a move to establish a uniform anti-terrorism structure across India’s 29 states. A standardization of processes and procedures would ensure synergy in responses to terror attacks, it said.

The federal government announced in 2024 that a national counterterrorism policy and strategy was being drafted to fight the terrorist ecosystem.

Following the terror attack in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in April last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) held discussions with anti-terror units to brief them on the steps aimed at preventing and pre-empting such attacks.

Social media platforms as well as instant messaging applications and technological advancements such as encryption, the dark web, and crypto wallets are used by terrorist organizations to operate anonymously, the Home Ministry said in the document.

Terrorist cells operating from abroad tap the infrastructure, logistics, and terrain knowledge of local outfits, it added. National actions, coupled with international and regional cooperation, are key elements required to check such acts, according to the policy document.

A Russian frigate has taken part in the Indian Navy’s flagship MILAN 2026 multilateral exercise, joining representatives from more than 70 countries for the biennial event.

The Marshal Shaposhnikov conducted artillery firing exercises as part of the international exercises hosted by the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command in the Bay of Bengal, the Russian Pacific Fleet press service reported.

“The Pacific Fleet’s frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, along with ships from countries participating in the Milan 2026 international naval exercise, conducted a series of artillery firings in the Bay of Bengal as part of joint defensive operations,” the statement said.

#MILAN2024
Setting sail for shared seas!
Sea Phase commences as 35 #IndianNavy & partner Navy warships prepare to sail in unison! From tactical drills to coordinated manoeuvres, this phase is a testament to the collective expertise & strength we bring to the fore as #Maritime… pic.twitter.com/ZgpYxQtbRi

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) February 24, 2024

As part of the drills, a towed target shield served as the mock enemy ship, while air attack weapons were simulated. Russian sailors fired from 100mm A-190 artillery mounts and 30mm AK-630 cannons.

“The ships carried out combat training exercises in stages, crossing mine-contaminated areas and simultaneously destroying dummy floating mines with naval artillery,” the Russian Defense Ministry added.

Russian naval sailors practiced anti-submarine missions and joint operations with carrier-based aircraft.

In October, 2025, India and Russia conducted the 14th edition of the Indra 2025 bilateral naval exercise to strengthen coordination.

Moscow and New Delhi have collaborated in numerous military exercises and defense deals, through technology transfers and missile programs.

As one of the world’s largest defense importers, India has traditionally relied heavily on Russia for both equipment and technology. The countries have hinted at new projects that emphasize technology transfers for aviation, naval, and missile platforms, as India pushes to boost domestic manufacturing under its ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The Russian delegation is being led by Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy.

India has deferred sending a delegation to the US to finalize a trade deal after the US Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from various countries, Reuters has reported, citing a source.

In a six-to-three vote on Friday, the court ruled that it was “unconstitutional” for the US president to unilaterally set and change tariffs, since the power to tax rests with Congress.

An Indian delegation, led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain, was scheduled to leave for Washington on Sunday to finalize the legal details of the interim framework of a trade deal.

Last week, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said an interim trade deal between India and the US will be operational in April. 

India and the US announced an interim trade deal earlier this month, after months of negotiations following a steep 50% tariff imposed by Washington on the South Asian nation in August 2025.

Washington reduced India’s tariff burden to 18% from the earlier 50%, which was the highest for any country in Asia. Half of the tariff was for New Delhi’s imports of Russian oil.

The US has said that as a part of the deal, India would stop buying oil from Russia, a claim that New Delhi has not confirmed.

India signed a trade pact with the European Union this year, and with the UK, Oman, and New Zealand in 2025.

India has condemned Pakistan over its airstrikes in neighboring Afghanistan that reportedly killed at least 18 people and left several others injured.

The attack, which Islamabad defended as a “retributive response” to a recent suicide bombing, was carried out in the early hours of Sunday in the eastern Afghan provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika.

“India strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadhan,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on Sunday.

In what appeared to be a reference to Islamabad’s defending of the attacks, Jaiswal said, “it is another effort by Pakistan to externalize its internal failures.”

❗️India 'strongly condemns' Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan

New Delhi has reiterated its support for Afghanistan's "sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence." pic.twitter.com/VN9N61iyWy

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 23, 2026

Pakistan said the strikes were in response to recent suicide bombings in its territory, including one at a Shiite place of worship earlier this month that killed at least 31 people and injured nearly 170. Islamic State – Khorasan Province has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Saturday strikes pose a major challenge to the ceasefire agreed to between Kabul and Islamabad in October 2025.

The neighboring states clashed in October, killing dozens, in the worst violence since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

On Monday, the Afghan Defense Ministry threatened retaliation after the Pakistani strikes, which it called “a breach of international law and the principles of good neighborliness.”

The ministry added, “We hold the Pakistani military responsible for targeting civilians and religious sites. We will respond to these attacks in due course with a measured and appropriate response.”

Although India opposed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, New Delhi and Kabul now enjoy warm relations.

“India reiterates its support for Afghanistan’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence,” Jaiswal said on Sunday.

Thousands of world tech leaders, CEOs, and local founders gathered in India’s capital last week to witness the AI narrative shifting South.

From AI-powered soil sensors for farmers to real-time translation tools that dissolve linguistic barriers for 22 Indian languages, the India AI Impact Summit hosted by New Delhi showcased a live gallery of how a nation can use domestically developed AI solutions to solve everyday problems at a population scale of 1.4 billion people.

The summit converted New Delhi into a massive ‘neural center’ where world leaders and tech giants, including the CEOs of OpenAI, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Google, gathered to fill the gap between innovative technology and human development.

More than just an event, it represents India’s transition from a global back-office to a front-line AI laboratory to develop population-scale solutions for the next billion users.

Inaugurating the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a keynote address that served as a manifesto for the $1.4 billion IndiaAI Mission which aims to establish a state-of-the-art AI compute infrastructure featuring over 38,000 Graphics Processing Units, built through public-private partnership.

Modi’s message signaled a definitive turn: India is moving beyond its recognized role as the world’s center of business process outsourcing, which gave the global economy IT giants such as Genpact, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and WNS, to claim a new position as the world’s AI brain.

India is using the India AI Impact Summit 2026 to position itself as a major voice in the global AI conversation, especially as a significant power of the Global South. 

The prime minister noted that the country is known for the democratization of computing.

“Through the IndiaAI Compute Portal, the government is now providing GPUs to startups for as low as rupees 67 per hour (less than one dollar). By making the ‘fuel’ of AI cheaper than a cup of artisanal coffee, India is ensuring that the next great model can be built in a small-town cubicle, not just a Silicon Valley boardroom,” he said.

“Our vision is clear: AI must accelerate global development while remaining deeply human-centric,” the prime minister said, describing the summit’s guiding philosophy, ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhaye’ (welfare for all, happiness for all), to stress that AI must benefit society at large.

High-powered hub

The event, which ran through the week and closed on Sunday, has become the most prominent AI conversation in Indian history, with an unprecedented 250,000 participants and 35,000 delegates from 100 countries attending.

Outside the heavily guarded entrance, lines of students, researchers, and tech enthusiasts stretch around the venue, waiting for hours to gain entry into a series of pavilions that showcase India’s AI innovations.

The atmosphere was vibrant with live demos, server systems, and talks in dozens of languages, as delegates from over 100 countries discovered how AI will shape the years to come and how it can be used ethically.

The India AI Impact Summit attracted some of the biggest names from the world of politics, tech, and business.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke of India’s “extraordinary trajectory” with AI and pledged deeper collaboration on infrastructure and language-based tools.

“We cannot allow the digital divide to become an AI divide… AI can improve billions of lives and solve some of the hardest problems,” he said.

“It is the biggest platform shift of our lifetimes... but we won’t realize AI’s full benefits unless we work together,” Pichai said, urging global collaboration and responsible development.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, was vocal about India’s unique position in the global hierarchy. With over 100 million weekly active users, India is now OpenAI’s second-largest user base globally. “India has the people, the scale, and the infectious optimism to be a full-stack AI leader,” he said at a roundtable. 

He praised IndiaAI Mission, designed to expand the country’s compute capacity, support startups, and accelerate multilingual applications that improve public service delivery, including healthcare and agriculture. “It is an effort to make sure AI is not confined to a small slice of early adopters but becomes an essential tool for hundreds of millions of people across India.”

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted that the company made a record $17.5 billion investment in India’s AI and cloud infrastructure. “We are committing to skill 20 million Indians in AI by 2030,” Nadella said, commending India’s eShram platform, which he said is a “global benchmark for digital public systems.”

The event did not escape the impact of global politics: Bill Gates, who was supposed to deliver a keynote address at the summit, pulled out hours before his speech, reportedly due to the Epstein Files controversy.

Nevertheless, the presence of head of states, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, contributed to the political significance of the summit.

India’s AI answer to world problems 

It was not the high-level plenary sessions that dominated the news, but the Expo, where more than 600 startups showcased solutions ready for the market. For many entrepreneurs, the summit was a recognition of their hard work for years.

Another tech enthusiast, Abilash Soundararajan, the founder and CEO of PrivaSapien, highlighted the speed of adoption. “AI is growing rapidly in India due to consumers’ increasing reliance on it. It will significantly reduce the cost of doing business and increase productivity across every industry.”

India currently generates 20% of the world’s data and possesses the highest AI skill penetration globally. 

With 38,000 GPUs already onboarded to support local innovation and 12 indigenous LLMs in development, India is asserting its strategic autonomy.

As the second day came to a close in the massive halls of Bharat Mandapam, it was evident that the message for the global community is that the Indian AI experience is no longer just a dream but a reality of the present.

For young innovators like Tasneem Khan, 23, a junior AI engineer who traveled over 1,200 kilometers from Jharkhand to attend the summit, it embodied the spirit of the country’s new generation. 

“This summit is a manifesto proving that no nation has scale quite like India,” Khan said. He believes that India, with a population of 1.4 billion people, is no longer just a consumer of global tech solutions. “We have the human resource, we have the brains, and now, we can build the world’s most consequential technology right here at home.”

An interim trade deal between India and the US will be operational in April, New Delhi’s commerce minister has said.

Officials from both countries will begin a three-day meet in the US on February 23 to finalize the legal text for the interim trade agreement, the PTI news agency quoted Piyush Goel as saying.

India and the US announced a trade deal earlier this month, after months of negotiations following a steep 50% tariff imposed by Washington on the South Asian nation in August 2025.

New Delhi also signed trade pacts with the European Union this year, and with the UK, Oman, and New Zealand last year.

Goel said the trade deals with the UK and Oman are also likely to be implemented in April. The New Zealand pact is expected to be operational in September, he added.

The US and India also issued a joint statement on February 6 detailing the trade agreement.

The White House later revised a fact sheet on the trade deal, after New Delhi reportedly flagged wordings and references that were not agreed upon.

The revisions related to wordings on pulses, reported pledges to buy American goods, and tweaks in digital tax references.

The US-India trade deal reduced India’s tariff burden to 18% from the earlier 50%, which was the highest for any country in Asia.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order eliminating the 25% tariff imposed on India in August for importing Russian oil.

Trump has claimed that the tariffs were reduced after India “agreed to stop buying Russian oil.” New Delhi has not acknowledged any such commitment. Moscow has said it has no reason to believe India has revised its approach on the issue.

India has joined the US-led Pax Silica alliance, which aims to secure a supply chain for artificial intelligence, chips, and critical minerals.

The Pax Silica declaration was signed on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit currently underway in New Delhi.

Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, the UAE, and the UK are the other signatories of the declaration, according to the US State Department.

Canada, the European Union (EU), the Netherlands, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Taiwan are non-signatory participants.

India joins Pax Silica 🇮🇳🤝🇺🇸

Securing silicon supply chain, advancing semiconductor manufacturing. pic.twitter.com/5I117ZPfHs

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 20, 2026

“India will be a key contributor to the Pax Silica alliance,” US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said at the signing ceremony.

Earlier this month, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar participated in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.

Jaishankar had extended New Delhi’s support to the Forum on Resource, Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), an initiative launched at the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial.

India has launched programs, including the National Critical Minerals Mission, and announced rare earth corridors (specialized industrial zones) in the states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu for the mining, processing, research, and manufacturing of Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs) in its federal budget.

REPMs are vital components in electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators, consumer and industrial electronics, aerospace systems, defense equipment, and precision sensors.

New Delhi’s decision to join Pax Silica gives it a chance to attract billions of dollars in AI and technology investment and cement its role as an alternative to China, the Hindustan Times reported.

India has a strong rare-earth resource base, but domestic production of permanent magnets is in its developmental stage. New Delhi imports 85%-90%of its rare earth requirements from China. Beijing accounts for more than 60% of global rare earth processing.

India’s consumption of permanent magnets is expected to double by 2030. New Delhi signed a joint declaration of intent for cooperation in critical minerals and metals during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit this week.

It is also exploring rare earth mining pacts with Russia, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and several African countries, Reuters reported in January.

A sharp exchange between American and Indian representatives at last weekend’s Munich Security Conference offered a revealing snapshot of how the emerging world order actually functions. Following the line set by his boss, US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that New Delhi had promised Washington it would stop buying Russian oil.

Soon after, speaking at another panel, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar declined to confirm any such commitment. India, he said, would make its own decisions, “which may not always be to your liking.” Everyone, he added, would have to live with that.

The truth, as usual, likely lies somewhere in between. But the episode is less about who said what than about a deeper, systemic issue.

India has found itself, somewhat unexpectedly, at the center of Washington’s attempt to construct an international regime tailored to US interests. This is not a world order in the classical sense, with rules accepted as legitimate by all. It is a looser, more transactional system of relationships with major states, designed to maximize American political and economic advantage.

The surge in trade between Russia and India in recent years, above all through Russian energy exports, has naturally drawn the White House’s attention. But the pressure on New Delhi goes beyond oil. India is one of the most populous, fastest-growing, and strategically important powers of the coming decades. Integrating it into a US-centric framework would be a prize in itself. Not to mention an instructive precedent for others.

India is a founding member of BRICS, a rising global actor with ambitions commensurate to its size. A country of this stature cannot simply follow someone else’s instructions. By definition, it is sovereign and it regularly reminds the world of that fact.

Yet sovereignty does not imply limitless freedom of action. India’s room for maneuver is constrained by economic realities, strategic dependencies, and regional rivalries. Independence, in practice, requires flexibility: a constant balancing between what is desirable and what is achievable.

From a purely economic standpoint, buying Russian oil – clearly cheaper than many alternatives – makes eminent sense for India. Sustained growth is essential for a country with a vast, still-disadvantaged population and the ever-present risk of social instability. At the same time, the United States is India’s largest trading partner, an indispensable factor not only economically but also strategically. China, meanwhile, is both a key economic partner within the non-Western world and India’s principal geopolitical and military rival. The resulting picture is anything but simple.

Jaishankar’s remark that India would take decisions “you will not like” was aimed squarely at Western audiences. It was a reminder not to expect obedience. Yet the same logic can be applied elsewhere. Moscow, too, is watching uneasily as India trims Russian oil purchases under US pressure. From a Russian perspective, such maneuvering – one might more bluntly call it opportunism – can look like a lack of sovereignty, a willingness to accommodate another power’s interests at one’s own expense.

India’s understanding, like that of many other states, is different. Sovereignty does not necessarily mean refusing to bend under pressure; it means finding ways to realize one’s interests under less-than-ideal conditions. The core of those interests is internal stability and continued development, priorities that have become even more urgent amid global turbulence.

Domestic cohesion has always mattered. Today, however, interdependence magnifies its importance. Internal unrest now interacts with external shocks, amplifying their destabilizing effects. For most governments, preserving the social and political balance at home takes precedence over abstract principles or ideological consistency.

This is the practical reality of what is often called a multipolar world. Strip away the rhetoric, and it operates according to an old rule, newly repackaged in modern language: look after your own first. The so-called global majority follows precisely this logic. States pursue their interests as they understand them, adjusting to circumstances rather than clinging to dogma.

When dealing with partners, a calm, unsentimental approach is therefore essential. Acting in one’s own interest is not cynicism; it is normal state behavior. Russia must do the same; steadily, confidently, and without illusions. Whether others approve is secondary. What matters is trusting one’s own judgment and acting accordingly.

This article was first published by Russia in Global Affairs, translated and edited by the RT team

Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be democratized and turned into a “tool of inclusion” in the Global South, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

Addressing the Global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, he highlighted the need to share new technology for the common good.

“We must democratize AI; it must become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, particularly for the Global South,” Modi said. “We are entering an era where humans and intelligent systems co-create, co-work, and co-evolve; AI will make our work smarter, more efficient, and more impactful.” 

The prime minister also spoke of the dangers of the misuse of AI and added that child safety was a priority. “Friends, from the beginning we have to be more vigilant towards children’s safety,” he added. “Just like a school syllabus is curated, AI spaces should also be child safe and family guided.”

❗️PM Modi: 'Global South's Aspirations & Priorities Must Be At The Centre Of AI Governance'

At the leaders' plenary of the AI Impact Summit, the PM called for a wide ethical scope to combat the "unlimited" unethical behaviour AI has the potential to allow. pic.twitter.com/fv9WupLOqZ

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 19, 2026

Modi said the main objective of the summit in the Indian capital was to understand how to make AI “human-centric” rather than “machine-centric” and “how to make it sensitive and responsible.”

Modi’s remarks take on added significance as the AI summit is being hosted in a country representing the Global South for the first time.

He said the future of work in the AI ecosystem “is not predefined, and will be based on our decisions and course of action.”

India’s top six IT services firms lost $43.9 billion in market capital this year, mainly on concerns that AI will wipe out tech projects and jobs, business outlet Mint reported.

Despite such concerns, the country has emerged as one of the key data center markets in Asia. A surge in global demand for cloud services, spurred by the AI boom, has prompted companies to make investments in data center facilities.

Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have already committed a combined $68 billion in AI and cloud infrastructure investment in India through 2030.

The India AI Impact Summit is being envisaged by New Delhi as a platform to position the country as a global hub for artificial intelligence.

International naval exercises, titled MILAN 2026, have commenced off India’s southern port city of Visakhapatnam, attracting participants from of over 70 countries.

The Indian Navy has said its flagship biennial event is one of the largest multilateral naval drills in the Indo-Pacific.

MILAN 2026 is being conducted in two phases; the harbor phase commenced on Thursday, while the sea phase begins on Friday.

“This grand maritime convergence reaffirms India’s role as a reliable and trusted partner contributing positively to regional and global maritime security,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.

The International Fleet Review (IFR), and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs are also being held as part of MILAN.

MILAN is envisaged as a strategic platform for deepening interoperability and addressing emerging maritime challenges, from securing Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) to combating piracy and responding to natural disasters.

❗️'Challenges At Sea Are More Complex & interconnected Today' - Defence Minister Rajnath Singh During Inauguration Of Naval Exercise MILAN 2026 pic.twitter.com/s7z1H3P7pT

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 19, 2026

Russia is a key participant in MILAN and the IFR. The Marshal Shaposhnikov, an Udaloy-class destroyer from the Vladivostok-based Pacific Fleet, arrived in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. 

The visit “reflects the ongoing cooperation and long-standing maritime ties between the navies of India and Russia,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.

At the IFR on Thursday, Indian Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi held discussions with Admiral Aleksandr Alekseevich Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.

“The dialogue reflected the longstanding character of India-Russia naval cooperation, highlighting sustained operational interactions, interoperability, and professional exchanges,” the Indian Navy added.

BRICS countries need strategic maritime cooperation in order to enhance security along global shipping lanes from Western piracy, a top Russian official had said this week.

The MILAN Village was inaugurated recently. A two-day international maritime seminar is also being held.

India has set a target of expanding its naval operations to over 200 warships and submarines by 2035, with the possibility of reaching 230 by 2037.

Bill Gates has pulled out of a keynote speech at the AI Impact Summit in India amid mounting pressure in the South Asian country over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates arrived in India a few days before he was scheduled to speak, and has met top elected officials in the state of Andhra Pradesh to discuss projects implemented by his foundation.

Rumors began circulating on Tuesday that he would not speak at the event, prompting the Gates Foundation to insist that the billionaire, who divorced in the aftermath of his exposure as a close confidant of Epstein, would attend and address the summit.

However, it later retracted this statement. “After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities, Mr. Gates will not be delivering his keynote address,” the foundation said on Thursday.

Allegations that Epstein knew Gates hid a sexually transmitted disease from his then-wife surfaced in the latest Epstein files – the trove of 3 million pages of documents, thousands of videos and 180,000 images from the Epstein Estate released by the US Justice Department.

The documents expose close relations between the notorious pedophile sex trafficker and prominent political, business, and tech leaders, including ex-British ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, Bill Clinton and Gates.

Bill Gates Pulls Out Of AI Summit Keynote In India, Foundation To Send Senior Representative Instead pic.twitter.com/tnv1vbuw9Z

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 19, 2026

A spokesperson for Gates has called claims in the files “absolutely absurd and completely false.” The billionaire has said he “regrets” knowing Epstein.

“Every minute I spent with him, I regret,” Gates told Australia’s 9 News earlier this month.

News of Gates making the keynote speech at the Delhi AI Summit invited the wrath of several Indian opposition politicians and social activists. He has also been accused of using India as his “laboratory” for ongoing research.

Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India offices of the Gates Foundation took the billionaire’s place at the summit.

On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for companies to emphasise child safety when developing AI models. “Friends, from the beginning we have to be more vigilant towards children’s safety,” he said. “Just like a school syllabus is curated, AI spaces should also be child safe and family guided.”

The Gates Foundation has said it is heavily investing in AI to improve global health, education, and development, focusing on equity in low- and middle-income countries. It aims to help health workers and reduce poverty.

The global artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi has been marred by an Indian university’s claim that it developed a commercially-available Chinese robot.

On Tuesday, a Galgotias University professor told state-backed broadcaster DD News that someone at the private institution had developed a mechanized dog, and displayed it at its stand at the AI Impact Summit.

The university faced a backlash after internet users identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, sold by China’s Unitree Robotics. It walked back the academic’s claim and apologized for the confusion.

“One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed,” the university said in a statement. “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorized to speak to the press.”

The institution’s pavilion has reportedly been removed from the summit venue.

Twenty world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as an array of technology company heads, are attending the summit.

Google  CEO Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith, and AMI Labs Executive Chairman Yann LeCun are all slated to attend the summit.

The India AI Impact Summit is being envisaged by New Delhi as a platform to position the country as a global hub for artificial intelligence.

India’s oil purchases ensure global energy security, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

Oil purchases by India, the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of crude, have been under scrutiny after the US claimed it agreed to stop buying oil from Russia.

In announcing the finalization of a trade deal in a social media post on February 2, US President Donald Trump claimed that New Delhi had agreed to halt oil purchases from Moscow.

“India has repeatedly expressed its position to the leaders of this state and in contact with Russian colleagues,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

“[Oil purchases] are guided exclusively by national interests, taking a sovereign decision based on commercial feasibility,” she said. “I think that neither we nor you have a reason to believe that India has revised its approach.”

‘India’s Purchase of Russian Hydrocarbons Beneficial for Both Countries and Global Energy Stability’ - 🇷🇺 FM Spox Zakharova

‘India has repeatedly expressed its position to the leaders of this state and in contact with Russian colleagues. […] They are guided exclusively by… pic.twitter.com/dPRT85r5p5

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 18, 2026

New Delhi has defended its oil trade with Russia, arguing that its decisions are guided by national interests and the need to ensure energy security for its population of 1.4 billion.

In his post acknowledging the closing of the trade deal with the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not make any mention of Russian crude purchases.

A joint statement by the US and India on a trade framework also made no mention of Russian oil.

Moscow has no information about India halting purchases of Russian oil, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this month.

Russia continues to be the largest oil supplier to India, Denis Alipov, Moscow’s envoy to New Delhi, has said. “Despite the West’s opposition and the temporary decrease in volumes to 1.2 million barrels per day in December and January, we remain India’s largest oil supplier,” he told RIA Novosti.

India became a key market for Russian crude following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.