Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the fallout of the West Asia conflict could persist for a long time, urging the country to remain prepared and united as it did during the Covid-19 pandemic, even as he underlined that India has built significant buffers across energy, food, fertilisers and power to limit the impact.
Addressing the Lok Sabha on the situation in West Asia, hours before US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement of postponing strikes on Iran’s power plants. Modi said the crisis has had adverse consequences for the global economy and human lives, while posing “unprecedented challenges” for India.
“The whole world is urging all parties for the earliest possible resolution of this crisis,” he said. Modi said, “When every government and every citizen of this country walk together, we can challenge every challenge, this is our identity, and this is our strength.”
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On energy supply, Modi said large quantities of crude oil, gas and fertilisers reach India through the Strait of Hormuz and that shipping through the route has become highly challenging since the war. “Continuous work has been done to ensure that the supply of petrol and diesel continues smoothly across the entire country,” he said.
Modi’s on India’s energy diversification
He said India has expanded its energy import sources over the past decade. “In today’s circumstances, the steps taken over the past decade regarding energy security have become even more relevant,” he said, noting that import sources have increased from 27 to 41 countries.
Modi said India has prioritised crude stockpiling and has a strategic petroleum reserve of more than 5.3 million tonne, with work underway to build reserves exceeding 6.5 million tonne, apart from reserves held by oil companies. “Over the past 11 years, there has been a remarkable increase in our refining capacity as well,” he said.
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He said the government is in touch with global suppliers and monitoring shipping routes. “Due to such efforts, several of our ships that were stuck in the Strait of Hormuz have also arrived in India in recent days,” he said. On domestic energy measures, Modi said ethanol blending has increased from 1-1.5% to nearly 20%, reducing oil imports by about 45 million barrels annually.
He said railway electrification has saved around 1.8 billion litres of diesel annually, metro rail has expanded from under 250 km to about 1,100 km, and 15,000 electric buses have been provided to states. Solar capacity has increased from around 3 GW to 140 GW, with total renewable capacity crossing 250 GW. “The scale at which work is being done on alternative fuels today will make India’s future even more secure,” he said.
PM Modi on agriculture
On agriculture, he said adequate foodgrain stocks are available and arrangements have been made for fertilisers. “In the past too, our government did not allow the burden of global crises to fall on the farmers,” he said.
Detailing the structural steps taken to insulate Indian agriculture from external shocks, the Prime Minister noted that six new urea plants have been commissioned in the last decade, adding over 7.6 million tonne of annual production capacity, while domestic output of DAP and NPKS fertilisers has been increased by approximately 5 million tonne and fertiliser import sources have been diversified.
Underscoring the breadth of these efforts, Modi stated, “Just as we have diversified oil and gas imports, we have also expanded our options for the import of DAP and NPKS.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the government’s commitment to empowering farmers through innovations like Made-in-India Nano Urea, the promotion of natural farming, and the distribution of over 2.2 million solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme to reduce farmers’ dependence on diesel.
On electricity, Modi said adequate coal stocks are available at power plants and India has produced more than 1 billion tonne of coal for the second consecutive year. He said about half of installed power capacity now comes from renewable sources. “All these efforts are serving the country greatly today, and they will make India’s energy future even more secure,” he said.
On diplomacy, Modi said India has engaged with leaders in West Asia and is advocating de-escalation. “India, through diplomacy, is making continuous efforts for the safe passage of Indian ships even amidst the war environment,” he said. He added, “India’s effort is to encourage all parties to arrive at a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.”
He also said security agencies have been put on alert. “Whether it is coastal security, border security, cyber security, or strategic installations, the security of all is being reinforced,” he said. |
