A worsening global fuel crisis triggered by military conflict in the Middle East has pushed India to fast-track long-delayed pipeline projects to safeguard its long-term energy security.
With a dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz choking traditional sea routes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to ration fuel and work from home.
Experts say structural solutions are required for a nation that imports 85% to 90% of its crude oil. India is now turning to three legacy pipeline projects to bypass volatile maritime chokepoints.
The most ambitious proposal is the 1,600-kilometer Oman-India Deepwater Multipurpose Pipeline. First discussed in the 1990s, the $5 billion to $6 billion project would lay a seabed pipeline from Ras Al Jifan, Oman, to Porbandar, Gujarat, reaching depths of 3,500 meters.
Designed to transport natural gas directly, it avoids land borders and vulnerable shipping lanes, potentially lowering gas costs by $2 to $3 per million British thermal units compared to imported liquefied natural gas.
A more immediate regional initiative is the proposed India-Sri Lanka cross-border oil pipeline. Revived in April 2026 during talks between Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the pipeline would connect Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee Tank Farm before extending to Colombo.
Backed by United Arab Emirates investment, this "energy bridge" would secure short-haul fuel supplies and utilize Trincomalee’s natural harbor for strategic storage.
Conversely, the 1,814-kilometer Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline faces severe geopolitical hurdles.
Designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan, the TAPI gas pipeline has seen physical progress , with the Turkmen section completed and construction advancing in Afghanistan toward Herat. However, the critical stretch through Pakistan to the Indian border remains stalled.
While the Oman and Sri Lanka links carry lower geopolitical risks, analysts note that India's ability to transition from temporary conservation to permanent energy security depends on successfully navigating these transnational partnerships.
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