Two Indian-flagged LPG carriers operated by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz on March 14, 2026, in what the Shipping Ministry described as a critical milestone amid an ongoing blockade of the strategic waterway tied to the Iran-Israel conflict.
The vessels, named Shivalik and Nanda Devi, are together transporting 92,712 metric tonnes of cooking gas, according to a statement by the Secretary of the Shipping Ministry carried by ANI on March 14. The Shivalik is scheduled to berth at Mundra Port in Gujarat on March 16, and the Nanda Devi is expected at Kandla Port on March 17. Their cargo is intended to alleviate the supply-side pressure affecting northern India, where LPG shortages have been reported in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Naval Protection and Diplomatic Clearance
The transit was conducted under the operational umbrella of the Indian Navy’s Operation Sankalp, which was originally launched in 2019 to ensure the safety of Indian merchant vessels in the Gulf and has taken on a heightened role since the conflict’s escalation on February 28, according to reporting by the Economic Times. The research documents indicate that at least 17 vessels have been attacked in West Asian waters since March 1, though this figure could not be independently verified through primary naval or shipping documentation for this report.
The safe passage of the SCI tankers followed direct diplomatic engagement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the need for unhindered transit of energy-carrying ships, as reported by The Hindu. Government sources cited in the research documents indicate that Iranian representatives signalled that neutral Indian vessels would be permitted passage despite broader restrictions on shipping linked to the United States, Europe, and Israel.
Vessels Still Stranded
Despite this development, 22 additional Indian-flagged vessels — including 12 energy carriers and 10 cargo vessels — remain on standby in the western approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Ministry of External Affairs and the research documents. Approximately 611 Indian seafarers are aboard these stranded vessels, according to the same sources. The Ministry of External Affairs stated it is in “constant touch” with regional stakeholders to secure clearance for the remaining fleet.
Times of India reported on March 14 that five Indian nationals have been killed and one is missing in the broader conflict zone, a development the Ministry of External Affairs has acknowledged.
The successful transit of Shivalik and Nanda Devi represents a meaningful, if partial, restoration of India’s LPG import pipeline. With India sourcing approximately 60% of its cooking gas through import, according to government figures, the sustained blockade of the Strait continues to pose a significant supply risk that the arrival of two vessels will address only in the short term.
