NEW DELHI, May 12: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday assured the nation that India faces no threat to its energy supply chain, stating that the country holds sufficient crude oil and liquefied natural gas reserves to meet domestic demand without disruption.

Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual General Meeting and National Conference, the Minister said India currently maintains crude oil and LNG reserves adequate for 69 days, while LPG stocks are sufficient to last 45 days. "There are no dry-outs anywhere. The energy supply chain remains stable and we are managing the situation responsibly," he said.

Addressing concerns arising from the ongoing West Asia crisis, Puri said the government had proactively scaled up LPG production from 35,000-36,000 tonnes per day to 54,000 tonnes per day to ensure uninterrupted supply in line with rising domestic demand. "There are absolutely no issues with LPG supply," he emphasised.

The Minister also contextualised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent advisory to citizens, clarifying that the suggestions were made with a view to cushioning the Indian economy from potential financial pressures stemming from the West Asia conflict. Prime Minister Modi, addressing a Telangana BJP conclave in Hyderabad last Sunday, had made a series of recommendations to the public aimed at reducing the country's dependence on fuel imports and conserving foreign exchange reserves.

Among the measures suggested by the Prime Minister were reducing personal consumption of petrol and diesel, making greater use of metro rail services and carpooling in cities, increasing the adoption of electric vehicles, utilising railway services for parcel deliveries, and prioritising work-from-home arrangements where feasible. Modi had also urged citizens to defer gold purchases and non-essential foreign travel for a period of one year in order to protect the country's foreign exchange reserves.

Puri's remarks come at a time when global energy markets remain volatile due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The government's decision to significantly boost LPG output is seen as a pre-emptive measure to prevent any supply-side shocks from translating into domestic shortages.

Officials in the petroleum ministry have indicated that India has been diversifying its crude oil sourcing over the past several years, reducing its vulnerability to supply disruptions from any single region. The Minister's assurances are expected to allay public concerns about potential fuel shortages or price volatility in the near term.