India Plans ₹40,000 Crore Subsea Gas Pipeline Amid Strait of Hormuz Crisis

India is reportedly accelerating plans to build a deep-sea natural gas pipeline from Oman to Gujarat to ensure uninterrupted energy supplies amid rising geopolitical tensions and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed project is estimated to cost around ₹40,000 crore and is aimed at strengthening India’s long-term energy security.

Proposed Pipeline Project:

According to reports, the proposed undersea pipeline:

Will connect Oman with the Gujarat coast through the Arabian Sea

May span nearly 2,000 kilometres

Could bypass vulnerable maritime choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz

Is expected to take around 5–7 years for completion after approval

May cost approximately 4.7–4.8 billion US dollars (₹40,000 crore)

The Petroleum Ministry is expected to ask:

GAIL

Engineers India Limited

Indian Oil Corporation

to prepare a detailed feasibility report based on earlier pre-feasibility studies.

Why the Project Has Become Important:

The ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis exposed the vulnerability of global energy supply chains. India imports a significant share of its crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) through this route.

A prolonged disruption in the Strait could:

Increase crude oil and gas prices

Affect India’s energy imports

Increase inflation and trade deficit

Disrupt industrial production and transportation sectors

About the Strait of Hormuz:

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.

Key Facts

Located between Iran and Oman

Connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea

Narrowest width: around 34 km

Around 20% of global seaborne oil trade passes through it

Major exporters using this route:

Saudi Arabia

Iraq

Kuwait

UAE

Qatar

India’s Energy Dependence on the Gulf Region

India relies heavily on West Asian countries for energy imports.

Major Suppliers of Crude Oil and Gas to India

Iraq

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Kuwait

Qatar

A major portion of these imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making India highly sensitive to geopolitical instability in the region.

Operation Urja Suraksha

To secure maritime energy routes during the crisis, India launched “Operation Urja Suraksha”.

Features

Indian Navy escorts Indian-flagged and India-bound vessels

Objective:

Ensure uninterrupted energy supplies

Protect Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs)

Operational Area:

Arabian Sea

Strait of Hormuz region

Additional Key Facts:

LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas):

Natural gas cooled to approximately -162°C for transportation

Occupies less volume, making transport easier

Cleaner fossil fuel compared to coal and oil

Maritime Chokepoint

A narrow shipping route through which a major volume of global trade passes.

Important global chokepoints:

Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Malacca

Suez Canal

Bab-el-Mandeb Strait

Panama Canal

Energy Security

Energy security refers to:

Reliable availability of energy

Affordable pricing

Protection against supply disruptions

SAGE (South Asia Gas Enterprise):

Private consortium associated with earlier Oman–India deep-sea pipeline proposals

Promoted the Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline (MEIDP) project