Missiles flying over the Middle East are sending shockwaves straight to Indian kitchens, airports, and the Gulf workers who support millions of families.
The war between Iran and Israel has been going on for 13 brutal days, and there is no end in sight. The number of confirmed civilian deaths has gone over 1,348. As Hezbollah rains missiles down on Israeli cities and Tehran launches retaliatory strikes, a war that is thousands of miles away is quietly destroying India’s economy from the inside. The most violent fight of the war happened on Wednesday. Hezbollah, following orders from Iran, fired long-range missiles at Israeli population centers. Israel hit back by attacking deep inside Iran. Neither side is giving in,And the cost to people keeps going up every hour.
India is in immediate and very real danger. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that Iran could close at any time. It carries more than 85% of the country’s crude oil. Brent crude has already gone up more than 4% this week. LPG prices are slowly going up in all states, and the cost of shipping tankers to the Gulf has gone up a lot as shipping companies raise the price of conflict risk.
India would have an energy crisis like no other since the Gulf War of 1990 if the Strait closed, even for a short time. The cost of fuel would skyrocket, food supply chains that rely on diesel would break down, and the Reserve Bank of India’s hard-won grip on inflation could slip away in weeks.
Then there’s the human side. Over 8.9 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries. They put up roads, work in hospitals, and power oil fields. They send home more than $30 billion in remittances every month. This money feeds families in Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan, and UP. That lifeline is now shaking. Airlines have started sending out warnings for Gulf routes. Prices for tickets have gone up a lot. People on the ground say they are “hour by hour” watching the news.
Prime Minister Modi acted quickly and called Gulf leaders himself to ask for safety guarantees for Indian citizens. The Ministry of External Affairs has set up its crisis cell and is telling all Indians in the area to register with their nearest embassy right away.
