Additional gas supplies from Mozambique will play an important role in strengthening India’s long-term energy security, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, as he underlined the country’s resilience against global disruptions in oil and gas markets.
The minister said India’s energy security strategy is increasingly supported by diversified sourcing beyond traditional Gulf suppliers, with Mozambique emerging as a key future contributor to gas availability.
“The minister said he remained confident that global supply shortages would be mitigated by producers outside the Gulf region and that additional gas supplies from Mozambique would further strengthen India’s energy security,” Puri said in an interview with CNN-News18.
He said India is already working with multiple international partners to ensure stable energy inflows, and Mozambique’s gas potential fits into this broader strategy of expanding access to non-Gulf resources.
At the same time, he reiterated that India’s current stock position provides a strong buffer against shocks, citing reserves equivalent to 76–80 days of consumption, including strategic petroleum reserves, refinery inventories and commercial stocks.
Addressing concerns over potential disruptions in global supply chains, Puri said India could manage even a temporary closure of key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, though he cautioned that prolonged instability would have wider consequences for global markets.
“We all have domestic situations, we have stocks,” Puri said, adding that his comfort level was maintaining around 60 days each of crude oil, natural gas and LPG cover.
The minister said India has already activated diversified supply arrangements, including engagement with partners such as the United Arab Emirates to secure additional LPG cargoes when required.
He also highlighted the broader expansion of India’s energy infrastructure, including increased refining capacity, higher LPG penetration, and rising domestic exploration activity aimed at reducing external vulnerability.
Puri noted that India operates 24 refineries and continues to scale up capacity, while LPG connections have grown from about 14 crore in 2014 to more than 33 crore at present.
Despite global volatility, he maintained that India’s combination of strategic reserves, diversified imports, and expanding domestic production capacity positions the country strongly to manage short-term disruptions.
However, he warned that extended conflict scenarios impacting global trade routes could have severe consequences for the global economy, even if India remains relatively insulated in the near term.
Israel and Iran traded fire early Monday in retaliatory strikes that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a full-scale regional war, while Yemen's Houthi rebels also fired at Israel and warned they would target Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea, further escalating tension.
