As ceasefire provides window, oil minister Hardeep Puri on visit to Qatar

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will undertake a two-day visit to Qatar, India's largest supplier of liquefied natural gas and cooking gas LPG, which had halted supplies following the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East. The visit on April 9-10 follows a tentative US-Iran ceasefire that has rekindled hopes of resumption of energy supplies from the region. "Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep S Puri, will be on an official visit to the State of Qatar on 9-10 April, 2026," his ministry said in a post on X. While the post did not give details of his agenda in Qatar, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said one has to wait for his return to know what exactly was discussed.

The visit comes as New Delhi seeks to secure energy supplies amid heightened geopolitical tensions that have disrupted global fuel trade flows. Qatar is India's single-largest supplier of both LNG and LPG, providing 45 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. After the US and Israel attacks on Iran on February 28, Tehran's sweeping retaliation targeted neighbouring Gulf countries that hosted US troops. Qatar's giant LNG export facility was struck, leading to shutting down of production and a declaration of force majeure on gas exports.

India relies on imports to meet about half of its natural gas demand and roughly two-thirds of its LPG needs, a fuel widely used for household cooking, with the bulk of supplies sourced from the Middle East. The six-week conflict has all but shut down energy exports from the Gulf countries, leaving India to grapple with industrial supply shortages and the knock-on impact of rising prices. Discussions during Puri's visit are expected to focus on restoring shipments, reviewing existing agreements, and exploring avenues to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation. He may ask Qatar to prioritise India in supply of LNG once trade resumes.