INDIA PERSPECTIVE

New Delhi is confronting the Hormuz crisis with stark arithmetic: only 7 vessels transiting the strait in 24 hours, compared to over 20 in normal times. For a country whose economy relies heavily on hydrocarbon imports, each ship that doesn't pass translates directly into energy shortages, food inflation (fertilisers also move through Hormuz), and internal political tensions.

Indian press coverage spans three simultaneous angles. The first is diplomatic: NDTV reported that Iran's three-stage proposal was transmitted via Pakistani intermediaries — placing India in an awkward position, with Islamabad playing a mediator role that New Delhi might have preferred to hold itself. The second is energy-focused: India has actively lobbied for humanitarian corridors allowing tanker passage, so far without success. The third is geostrategic: the Times of India analyses entry into a "nuclear cold war" between Washington and Tehran, in which India — a buyer of Iranian oil through alternative channels since 2019 sanctions — must navigate without taking sides.

The stakes for New Delhi are also agricultural: the 2026 monsoon arrives in June. If the Hormuz crisis remains unresolved by then, fertiliser shortages could disrupt India's farming season, affecting consequences for 600 million people dependent on agriculture. The Modi government faces a silent crisis that hasn't dominated headlines but could carry significant electoral implications.