Explained: Inside India’s strategic oil reserves, and how Hormuz is affecting the math

America’s raging war on Iran has triggered anxious discussions in India over its energy security, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for fuel-saving measures and later spoke about a global “decade of disasters”.

The concern stems largely from disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but strategically crucial shipping route through which nearly 30 per cent of India’s crude oil imports pass. India sources crude oil from around 40 countries and has diversified its suppliers over the years.