NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired the fourth special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the evolving situation arising from the ongoing conflict in West Asia and assess the preparedness of various ministries to mitigate its impact on India.
Such meetings were chaired by the Prime Minister earlier, in March and April.
In an official statement, the government said that Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan briefed the committee on the geopolitical situation, and outlined measures taken to safeguard the country’s energy security and ensure uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fertilisers.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the government has diversified sources for LPG procurement, while overall stocks and supplies of major petroleum products remain adequate. “Sufficient availability of crude oil has enabled state-owned refineries to operate at their 100 percent capacity, ensuring continued production of petrol, diesel and other essential fuels,” he said.
According to the statement, the CCS was also informed about steps to reduce dependence on LPG through expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) infrastructure. “The government is accelerating the rollout of the National Gas Grid, augmenting LNG import and regasification capacity, expanding City Gas Distribution networks and fast-tracking pipeline and last-mile connectivity approvals under the Pipeline Infrastructure Order, 2026,” it said, adding that these measures have led to a significant increase in PNG connections across the country.
The meeting also reviewed fertiliser availability ahead of the upcoming Rabi season, with discussions focusing on meeting projected demand and identifying alternative sourcing options.
According to the statement, the Prime Minister directed that all necessary measures be taken to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser supplies to farmers.
“The welfare of Indian seafarers serving on both domestic and foreign-flagged vessels operating in conflict zones also figured prominently during the deliberations. Modi directed officials to establish a dedicated mechanism for providing timely information, emergency assistance and counselling to affected seafarers and their families,” it said.
Emphasising the need to safeguard Indian citizens and the diaspora from the fallout of the conflict, the Prime Minister is learnt to have called for sustained coordination across ministries and agencies. He stressed that a whole-of-government approach should continue to guide India’s response to emerging challenges arising from the crisis, it added.
“The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of accelerating India’s transition towards energy independence by expanding renewable energy capacity, including solar power and other non-fossil fuel sources, to reduce vulnerability to external disruptions,” the statement read.
The PM further directed that a unified and coordinated monitoring mechanism should be put in place to track developments in West Asia regularly and ensure swift implementation of measures necessary to protect national interests and minimise the impact on citizens, it said.
The meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra.
Union Ministers JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Hardeep Singh Puri, and Sarbananda Sonowal attended as special invitees.
