India has tightened maritime security around the Strait of Hormuz after two India-linked vessels came under fire on 18 April, prompting a fresh naval advisory for ships operating in the Persian Gulf and a more controlled approach to crossings near one of the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoints. Vessels have been told to avoid the waters around Larak Island unless specifically cleared by naval authorities, while ship movements are being more closely coordinated as tensions in the Gulf intensify. The step marks a sharper operational posture by New Delhi at a moment when commercial shipping through Hormuz has become erratic, insurance costs have surged and merchant traffic has repeatedly slowed or halted. The trigger was the firing incident involving two Indian-flagged ships attempting passage through the strait, an episode that also led to a diplomatic protest in New Delhi and a demand that Tehran ensure the safe movement of vessels bound for the country.
At the centre of the latest advisory is Larak Island, which sits close to the northern side of the narrow waterway and has become a focal point in altered routing patterns and heightened military oversight. Ships in the area now face tighter scrutiny, and the message from naval planners is clear: transits should no longer be treated as routine commercial passages. The change reflects concern that vessels entering the corridor without precise coordination could face delay, diversion or direct harassment.
For India, the risk is not only strategic but economic. The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and the country remains heavily exposed to Gulf energy flows. Middle Eastern crude accounted for 55% of its crude imports at the start of the year, while roughly half of its crude imports and more than 60% of LNG and LPG shipments move through Hormuz. Any disruption therefore reaches far beyond shipping schedules, touching refinery planning, fuel supply chains and domestic price stability.
That vulnerability helps explain why naval surveillance and escort patterns have become more visible over the past several weeks. India has already been working to shield merchant shipping and protect sea lanes linked to energy imports, but the 18 April incident has pushed that effort into a more urgent phase. Officials are now balancing two competing needs: keeping trade moving while avoiding a miscalculation in waters where military signalling, commercial navigation and geopolitical rivalry have become tightly entwined.
The wider backdrop is a Hormuz route that has become increasingly unpredictable. Ship-tracking data and market reports have shown periods of near standstill, with vessel owners, charterers and traders hesitating before committing to passage. On some days only a handful of ships have moved through the strait over long stretches, far below normal volumes. Even when transits resume, operators face a risk premium that now includes higher war insurance, longer waiting times and more complicated voyage planning.
This is already feeding through to global markets. War-risk premiums have climbed to around 3% of vessel value in some cases, while oil prices have jumped as traders factor in the prospect of longer disruption. Asian buyers are among the most exposed because replacing lost Middle Eastern volumes at short notice is expensive and logistically difficult. Although alternative supplies can soften the blow, they do not fully offset the scale of flows that normally pass through the Gulf.
New Delhi’s response so far has been measured rather than dramatic. It has paired diplomatic pressure with operational caution, avoiding inflammatory language while reinforcing the safety net around its merchant fleet. That combination suggests policymakers want to reduce immediate risk without signalling a broader military shift. Yet the advisory also underlines a harder truth: commercial shipping in the Gulf is now moving under conditions shaped as much by force posture as by market demand.