NEW DELHI: In a significant success for Indian maritime diplomacy, the Indian-flagged crude tanker Jag Laadki successfully departed the UAE’s Fujairah oil terminal on Sunday morning, despite a direct attack on the facility during its loading operations. The vessel, carrying approximately 80,800 tonnes of critical Murban crude oil, is now bound for Indian shores with all crew members reported safe.
The Jag Laadki is the fourth Indian-flagged vessel to emerge unharmed from the escalating war zone in West Asia. Its departure at 10:30 am IST follows the successful passage of two LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, which crossed the volatile Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. These vessels, carrying nearly 93,000 tonnes of LPG, are expected to dock at Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat within the next 48 hours, providing much-needed relief to India’s energy supply chain.
The Ministry of Shipping and the Directorate General of Shipping confirmed that they are closely monitoring the remaining 22 Indian-flagged vessels and 611 seafarers still located on the west side of the Persian Gulf. Since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, the government has facilitated the safe repatriation of 276 Indian seafarers. The DG Shipping control room remains active, having already handled over 8,000 inquiries from concerned families and stakeholders as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues to impact global energy transit.
While India has partially mitigated crude oil disruptions by increasing imports from Russia, the conflict has forced the government to curtail gas supplies to industrial users and reduce LPG availability for commercial establishments. The safe transit of these tankers is viewed as a vital milestone in maintaining national energy security, given that India historically relies on West Asia for over 85% of its LPG and half of its natural gas requirements.
