Prime Minister Narendra Modi  addressed the Lok Sabha on West Asia Tensions.

Speaking during the Parliament’s Budget sesssion PM Modi stressed on help being provided to the Indian diaspora affected in the Gulf.

India has almost 10 million people in the Gulf, assuring safety of Indian Nationals, Prime Minister said, “Since this war began, every Indian in the affected countries has been provided assistance. I have spoken over the phone with the heads of state of most West Asian countries for two rounds. All have assured the safety of Indians. During the conflict, some people have lost their lives, and some have been injured…”

Indian missions in conflict-hit countries are actively assisting all Indians, workers and tourists alike, with round-the-clock support.

Regular advisories are issued, while 24/7 outreach rooms and emergency helplines operate in India and affected nations to share real-time updates. In crisis, safeguarding Indians at home and abroad remains our top priority, said PM Modi.

“The situation in West Asia is worrisome. In the last 2-3 weeks, EAM Dr S Jaishankar and Union Minister Hardeep Puri have provided the details of the situation to the House. This conflict has been going on for more than 3 weeks. It has a severe impact on the global economy and the lives of the people, and that is why the world is urging all sides for an early resolution to this conflict,” said PM.

PM Modi also stressed on efforts undertaken by the Government to meet energy demands. He reiterated India’s stand on strategic autonomy and also stressed on reduced dependency on foreign nations.

He also highlighted that India maintains deep trade ties with West Asia conflict nations and relies on the region for much of its crude oil, gas, and global shipping routes. Nearly 1 crore Indians reside and work in Gulf countries, alongside many Indian crew on commercial ships there. Parliament must thus project a unified voice on the crisis.

“Over the past decade, India has built up strategic crude oil reserves for emergencies, now exceeding 53 lakh metric tonnes, with expansion underway to surpass 65 lakh metric tonnes. Refining capacity has also risen sharply over the last 11 years, highlighted PM Modi.

“India has extensive trade relations with countries at war and affected by the conflict. The region where the conflict is taking place is also an important route for our trade with other countries around the world, particularly for a large portion of our crude oil and gas needs. This region is also important for us for another reason. Nearly 1 crore Indians live and work in the Gulf countries. Commercial ships operate there. The number of Indian Crew members is also very high. Due to these various reasons, India’s concerns are naturally greater. Therefore, it is essential that a unified voice and consensus reach the world regarding this crisis from the Parliament,” added PM Modi.

Highligting government’s hightened measures to tackle ongoing crisis, PM Modi pointed at the formation of Inter-minesterial commitee, which meets everyday to discuss important measures amid the ongoing war in West Asia and necessary steps taken towards the matter.

On the gas and energy crisis in the country, Prime Minsiter said, “A large quantity of crude oil, gas, fertilisers and many essential items come to India through the Hormuz Strait route. Since the war began, the movement of ships through the Hormuz Strait has become very challenging. Despite this, our government has made efforts to ensure that the supply of petrol, diesel, and gas is not severely impacted. As we all know, the country imports 60% of its LPG requirement. Due to uncertainty in supply, the government has prioritised domestic LPG consumers. At the same time, domestic production of LPG is also being increased. Continuous efforts have also been made to ensure that the supply of petrol and diesel across the country remains smooth…”

He highlighted that, India’s ethanol blending program has surged from 1% a decade ago to nearly 20% today, cutting oil imports by 4.5 crore barrels last year amid the West Asia crisis.

Over the past decade, India has focused on building crude oil stockpiles for emergencies. It now holds over 53 lakh metric tonnes in strategic petroleum reserves, with plans underway to expand to more than 65 lakh metric tonnes, excluding separate reserves by oil companies. Refining capacity has also grown substantially in the last 11 years, highlighted Prime Minister.

With summer approaching and temperatures rising, India’s electricity demand will surge, though power plants currently hold sufficient coal stocks, argued Modi/

Global economies are reeling from the conflict, but India is minimizing impacts through short, medium, and long-term strategies, bolstered by strong economic fundamentals and sector-wide stakeholder support.

In this crisis, our decade-long ethanol push, from 1% blending capacity to nearly 20% today, has slashed oil imports by 4.5 crore barrels last year alone.

Prime Minister stressed on India’s stand on dialogue and diplomacy to combat war time situations, and urged countires involved in war to return back to dialogue for peaceful resolution. He highligted his conversations with various leaders of the affected countries and New Delhi’s continued stance on maintaining peace through diplomacy and dialogue.

He also urged Indians to stay united, taking example from COVID era to stand together in the time of crisis.