A shipping industry body and a state-run oil company on Friday called for security escorts for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz — a critical route for oil and gas shipments from West Asia — and suggested exploring alternative ports such as Yanbu in Saudi Arabia to ensure uninterrupted supplies of energy and other commodities from the crisis-hit region.
At a high-level inter-ministerial meeting chaired by shipping secretary Vijay Kumar, companies also urged the government to instruct ports to waive demurrage charges and other levies, including detention and plug-in fees, for cargo and containers stuck at ports.
HPCL, among other companies present at the meeting, said some of its vessels carrying crude and LNG were stranded in the Persian Gulf, while three additional empty ships were waiting for clearance to enter the region.
The Indian Shipowners' Association (INSA) also pressed for security cover for vessels, citing how the Indian Navy, under Operation Sankalp, had assisted shipping lines in tackling piracy, hijackings and attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea in 2024. The industry body is also understood to have raised the issue with the Navy.
According to officials, the shipping secretary said any action by the Navy and the external affairs ministry would depend on the evolving geopolitical situation.
A Reliance Industries representative proposed easing age restrictions for vessels docking at Indian ports as part of a plan to increase ship availability, a person familiar with the discussions told TOI.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) flagged potential risks to basmati rice as well as fruit and vegetable exports to the region. It said discussions were underway with logistics firm DP World to route fruits — particularly bananas — to ports near Dubai, from where they could be transported by road. Nearly 3,000 containers of basmati rice and about 1,000 containers of bananas and grapes are currently in the high seas and headed for the region.
The Association of Multimodal Transport Operators of India suggested that fruits could be shipped to Sharjah and Khor Fakkan ports and then transported onward to other cities.
At a high-level inter-ministerial meeting chaired by shipping secretary Vijay Kumar, companies also urged the government to instruct ports to waive demurrage charges and other levies, including detention and plug-in fees, for cargo and containers stuck at ports.
HPCL, among other companies present at the meeting, said some of its vessels carrying crude and LNG were stranded in the Persian Gulf, while three additional empty ships were waiting for clearance to enter the region.
The Indian Shipowners' Association (INSA) also pressed for security cover for vessels, citing how the Indian Navy, under Operation Sankalp, had assisted shipping lines in tackling piracy, hijackings and attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea in 2024. The industry body is also understood to have raised the issue with the Navy.
According to officials, the shipping secretary said any action by the Navy and the external affairs ministry would depend on the evolving geopolitical situation.
A Reliance Industries representative proposed easing age restrictions for vessels docking at Indian ports as part of a plan to increase ship availability, a person familiar with the discussions told TOI.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) flagged potential risks to basmati rice as well as fruit and vegetable exports to the region. It said discussions were underway with logistics firm DP World to route fruits — particularly bananas — to ports near Dubai, from where they could be transported by road. Nearly 3,000 containers of basmati rice and about 1,000 containers of bananas and grapes are currently in the high seas and headed for the region.
The Association of Multimodal Transport Operators of India suggested that fruits could be shipped to Sharjah and Khor Fakkan ports and then transported onward to other cities.
