The situation in West Asia is “deeply concerning“, and the impact of the war is likely to be felt for a long time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday (March 23, 2026), while briefing the Lok Sabha on the steps taken by his government to secure India’s energy needs.
The country should be prepared and united, Mr. Modi said, urging all members to ensure the Indian Parliament sends out a “united and unanimous voice on the issue”.
The government should hold a proper discussion so that other members can put forth their views, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said after the Prime Minister’s speech.
Earlier, making a statement in the Lok Sabha, the PM said he had spoken to the heads of state of most West Asian countries, all of whom had assured the safety of Indians.
“India has always raised its voice for peace in the interest of humanity. Dialogue and diplomacy are the solutions to this problem. Our efforts are aimed at reducing tensions and ending this conflict,” Mr. Modi said, amid the thumping of desks by ruling party members.
“I myself have spoken with all relevant leaders in West Asia. I have urged them to reduce tensions and end the conflict. India has opposed attacks on civilians, energy, and transport-related infrastructure. Attacks on commercial ships and obstruction in international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz are unacceptable. Through diplomacy, India is continuously working to ensure safe passage for Indian ships even in this war environment,” he added.
The government was in constant touch with suppliers from various countries to ensure that oil and gas supplies continued from wherever possible, he said, addressing apprehensions of fuel shortages. All power plants in the country have adequate stocks of coal, he added.
India has 5.3 million metric tonnes of strategic petroleum reserves, and the government was working towards increasing this to 6.5 million metric tonnes, the PM told the House.
“The reserves maintained by our oil companies are separate. In the past 11 years, our refining capacity has also increased significantly,” Mr. Modi said.
The country’s farmers had filled the food grain reserves, so India is well prepared in terms of food security, he said, speaking on the war’s impact on agriculture.
“We are also making efforts to ensure that Kharif sowing takes place properly. For this, the government has made adequate arrangements for fertilizers to deal with any emergency. In the past as well, our government did not let any global crisis impact our farmers,” he said.
As the summer had begun in India, the demand for electricity had increased, but all power plants in the country had adequate stocks of coal, Mr. Modi said.
“India has created a record by producing more than one billion tonnes of coal for the second consecutive year. In the last decade, the country has also taken major steps towards renewable energy,” he said.
West Asia is important to India as nearly one crore Indians live and work in the Gulf countries, the Prime Minister said. Among the commercial ships that sail in these seas, the number of Indian crew members is also very high, he said.
“Due to these varied reasons, India’s concerns are naturally greater. Therefore, it is essential that a unanimous and united voice from India’s Parliament on this crisis reaches the world,” he said.
Every Indian in the war-affected region was being given every possible help, and more than 3.75 lakh Indians, including 1,000 people from war-torn Iran, had been safely evacuated, Mr. Modi said.
However, several lives had been lost, and some people had been injured during the conflict, the Prime Minister said, adding that their families were being given the necessary help, and the treatment of the injured was being ensured.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published – March 23, 2026 04:22 pm IST
