MUMBAI : Official sources said on Saturday that India is actively exploring alternative energy supply channels amid concerns about potential disruptions to global energy markets, particularly in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Countries including Australia and Canada have offered additional gas supplies to India as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s energy resilience. Officials stressed that India’s oil imports are no longer heavily dependent on a single maritime route.

According to sources, only about 40 per cent of India’s crude oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while nearly 60 per cent arrive through other routes unaffected by the current tensions.

India’s diversified sourcing network now includes suppliers from Russia, West Africa, the Americas, and Central Asia, as well as non-Gulf routes from West Asia. This strategy has helped ensure uninterrupted energy supplies to Indian consumers even during major global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of geopolitical instability.

In recent months, India has also signed new energy supply agreements with partners including the United States and the United Arab Emirates to secure stable long-term supplies.

Over the past decade, the country has expanded its crude oil supplier base from 27 to around 40 countries across six continents, reflecting its strategic push to strengthen energy security through broader international partnerships.

“Our sourcing decisions are governed by national interest,” a senior government official said, adding that India purchases crude oil from wherever supplies are available, competitively priced and logistically feasible.

The developments come after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to continue purchasing oil from Russia, describing India as an essential partner.

Officials noted that India has complied with all rounds of price cap rules introduced by the Group of Seven while maintaining steady energy flows.

India also remains in regular communication with key global energy stakeholders, including the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to closely monitor developments in global markets.

Government decisions in the petroleum sector, officials said, are guided by three core principles, affordability, availability and sustainability.

Sources further highlighted that while petrol prices have surged sharply in many countries, rising by about 55 per cent in Pakistan, 22 per cent in Germany, 19 per cent in France and 11.54 per cent in the United States, fuel prices in India have increased by less than one per cent during the same period.