INDIA PERSPECTIVE

The Times of India devotes an entire article to the Pakistani crisis viewed from Delhi—a framing that reveals regional rivalry. The article details the mechanics: 42.7% increase to 485 rupees, protests, partial reversal to 378 rupees, free transportation for 30 days. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi promises that 'all public transportation in Islamabad will be free for 30 days.' NDTV covers the same subject with a factual tone but articles are placed alongside coverage of India's manufacturing activity falling to its lowest in four years. India imports 85% of its oil, much of which previously transited through Hormuz. Prime Minister Modi called for 'unity in the face of the energy crisis'—a rallying discourse that masks the scale of the problem. India observes Pakistan collapsing under the oil shock with a mixture of relief (it's not us) and anxiety (it could be us). Non-alignment allows Delhi to buy Russian oil at reduced prices, but the volume does not compensate for the loss of Hormuz. U.S. intelligence confirms that Iran will not reopen the strait anytime soon—which means the crisis is just beginning.