New Delhi: In a major change in its import pattern, the United States has emerged as India’s biggest supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), accounting for almost two-thirds.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India originally planned to source a small share of its LPG needs from the US, but that figure has increased significantly over the past few months.
Speaking about India’s energy imports, Puri said the government had decided earlier this year to import around 10% of the country’s LPG requirement from the United States. That decision was taken before the US-Iran war broke out, and hence was not linked to the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
The minister said there were questions at the time whether such a move was necessary, especially as India had LPG suppliers located much closer.
However, the situation changed dramatically over the conflict in West Asia and blockade of Hormuz, which is a narrow but critical waterway through which passes 20% of the world’s fuel and energy.
“Today I’m happy to inform you that the United States accounts for something like 67% of our LPG imports,” Puri said.
India is largely dependent on imports to meet its energy needs, including LPG which is used by households for cooking.
One of the ways to strengthen energy security and reduce risks associated with relying heavily on one region is by diversifying suppliers.
This policy has come in handy for India at a time of global crisis triggered by the war in Gulf region as well as the Russia-Ukraine military conflict.
