The fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong and the country has adequate availability of petroleum, fertilisers and coal to weather trade and energy disruptions caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
The conflict, which began last month, has disrupted sectors from air travel to shipping and gas supplies, including by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a conduit for 40% of India’s crude oil imports.
India has sufficient petroleum availability, with strategic reserves currently exceeding 5.3 million metric tons, and work underway to create reserves of another 6.5 million metric tons, Modi told parliament’s lower house on Monday.
“The inherent strength of India’s economic fundamentals has … provided significant support to the nation during this period,” he said.
Adequate arrangements have also been made for fertilisers supply for the summer sowing season that starts in June-July, and for coal to meet the rising demand for electricity as temperatures rise, he added.