India’s government is currently in talks with Iran to ensure safe passage for six tankers carrying a total of 221,000 t of LPG through the strait of Hormuz, shipping sources said.
India-flagged BW Elm carrying an evenly split cargo of 23,000t of LPG, Green Asha carrying an evenly shipment of 9,662t of LPG, Green Sanvi carrying a split cargo of 22,160t of LPG are stranded near Ras Laffan and near Juaymah terminal, data from vessel trackers Vortexa and Kpler show.
India-flagged Pine Gas carrying an evenly split shipment of 11,700t of LPG and Jag Vasant carrying an evenly split shipment of 23,600t of LPG, and Sarv Shakti carrying evenly split cargo of 20,400t of LPG are near Dubai, the data show.
India-flagged LPG vessel Shivalik carrying an evenly split shipment of around 22,000t of LPG is expected to reach India’s western coast of Mundra port today after transiting via the strait of Hormuz on 13 March, satellite images from Vortexa and Kpler show.
Another India-flagged vessel Nanda Devi is also set to reach India’s western port of Kandla later this week carrying a similar volume, the data show.
Both the vessels were granted passage on a specific, case-by-case basis through high-level diplomatic co-ordination, traders said.
The vessels were among the several ships that were stranded upstream of the strait of Hormuz since the conflict started on 28 February.
Middle East supply accounted for 90pc, or 21.53mn t, of India’s LPG imports in 2025 despite an increase in US supplies. And 95pc of this Middle East supply goes through the strait of Hormuz, Kpler data show.
These vessels combined are set to ease the ongoing LPG supply shortage in the country as New Delhi continues to push domestic refiners to raise LPG output by about 25pc and the entire domestic LPG production is being directed towards household consumers.
The government also directed refiners to prioritise the use of propane and butane streams for LPG production instead of using them as petrochemical feedstock.
The shortfall in supply has prompted Indian state-controlled oil marketing companies to raise prices of domestic LPG cylinders by 60 rupees after a year of keeping prices unchanged and also raise the price of commercial LPG cylinders for the second time this month. A 14kg residential cylinder now costs Rs913 ($9.89) and a commercial cylinder of 19kg cost Rs1,883 in Delhi.