Centre to Hold 3 PM Briefing on West Asia Situation, Fuel Security

The Centre will conduct an inter-ministerial briefing at 3 PM today to assess the impact of escalating West Asia tensions on India's fuel supplies, maritime trade routes, and fertiliser availability. Senior officials from the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, External Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting will participate.

The briefing follows a meeting chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh of the Informal Empowered Group of Ministers (IGoM), tasked with monitoring regional developments and their economic implications for India. Officials are expected to outline contingency plans to secure fuel supply chains, maintain shipping operations, and stabilise fertiliser imports amid rising crude oil prices and disruptions in key maritime corridors.

The government's convening of the briefing comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in Hyderabad on Sunday, urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, limit unnecessary foreign travel, and cut gold purchases to conserve foreign exchange. His remarks, framed around global supply disruptions caused by conflict, have drawn political reactions across parties.

The Ministry-level briefing will provide an official update on sector-specific preparedness and immediate policy responses. The government is expected to release coordinated guidance on energy conservation, import management, and trade continuity measures by the end of the session.