An India-registered liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, Jag Vikram, has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such transit by an Indian vessel after a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

According to ship-tracking data, the tanker moved through the Strait between Friday night and Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, it was located in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Strait, and was proceeding eastwards.

Jag Vikram, owned by the Great Eastern Shipping Company, is a mid-sized gas carrier with a deadweight capacity of over 26,000 tonnes. Trade sources estimate it could be carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG.

The vessel is the ninth India-registered ship to exit the Persian Gulf since early March. Around 15 Indian ships remain in the region, awaiting passage.

At least 28 India-registered vessels were in the Strait of Hormuz region when the West Asia conflict began, including 24 on the western side and four on the eastern side.

Before Jag Vikram’s transit, eight vessels from the western side and two from the eastern side had managed to move out.

MarineTraffic data shows that hundreds of vessels are still present in the region, including 426 tankers, 34 LPG carriers and 19 LNG vessels. Several foreign-registered ships carrying India-bound cargo also remain in the Persian Gulf.

India depends heavily on energy imports, sourcing about 88 per cent of its crude oil, around half of its natural gas and nearly 60 per cent of its LPG requirement from overseas.

A significant share of these supplies passes through the Strait of Hormuz, including more than half of crude imports, about 40 per cent of gas and up to 85-90 per cent of LPG shipments.

Following the disruption in the Gulf, India had curtailed LPG supplies to commercial users such as hotels and restaurants. About 70 per cent of pre-crisis volumes have since been restored after alternative supplies were arranged.

Natural gas supplies were initially reduced for industries, including fertiliser plants, to prioritise CNG for transport and piped cooking gas for households.

Supplies to fertiliser units have since been partially restored to about 80 per cent of recent average consumption, while overall allocation to the sector has been raised to around 95 per cent this week.

Gas supply to other industrial and commercial users has also been increased gradually, though it remains below normal levels.

City gas distributors have been directed to prioritise piped natural gas connections for commercial establishments, including hotels, restaurants and canteens, to reduce dependence on LPG.