ONGC-HPCL merger plan on ministry table

The global crisis around the Strait of Hormuz is drawing India into a major geopolitical conversation. The United States has hinted that New Delhi could play a role in securing the vital maritime route as tensions continue to disrupt global energy flows. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Donald Trump is reaching out to several countries to form a coalition aimed at protecting shipping through the strait. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil trade moves through this narrow corridor linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. With India heavily dependent on energy imports from the Gulf, the stakes are high for New Delhi. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has clarified that there is no blanket arrangement with Iran for Indian ships to pass through the strait, stressing that every vessel is cleared individually through diplomacy.