The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyze India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian countries.
Approach · directive: “analyse”
What it asks · Explain why West Asia is central to India's oil and gas needs, analyse the forms of cooperation (supply, investment, storage, technology, diplomacy) and the risks, and suggest a way forward.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Establish why energy security is central to India's growth and why West Asia matters to it
- Analyse India's energy cooperation with West Asian countries: supply, partnerships, storage, upstream stakes, connectivity, human ties
- Analyse the risks and suggest a way forward
Open with · India's oil import dependence was 80.6% of consumption in 2015-16 (PPAC), and much of that oil and its gas comes from West Asia, so Gulf supply shapes growth, inflation and the current account.
Cover
- Supply: in 2015-16 Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE were among the top six crude suppliers; Qatar supplies LNG under a long-term contract.
- Strategic partnerships: the Riyadh Declaration with Saudi Arabia (2010) and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UAE (2017) tie energy to investment and security.
- Storage: ADNOC's 2017 agreement with ISPRL to store 5.86 million barrels of crude in underground facilities at Mangalore.
- Upstream and connectivity: Farzad-B (since then, in 2020, Iran said it would use an Iranian company); Chabahar opens a faster route to Central Asia.
- Human ties: the Gulf diaspora's remittances give India a stake in regional stability.
- Risks: price volatility, Iran-Saudi rivalry and intra-Gulf tension, sanctions on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
- Way forward: diversify suppliers and routes, larger reserves, long-term contracts and equity oil, balanced diplomacy, renewables and gas.
Close with · West Asia will anchor India's energy for years; managing that dependence while advancing SDG target 7.2, a substantially higher renewable share by 2030, is the path to energy security.
Add value (verified)
- PPAC: India's petroleum import dependence (based on consumption) was 80.6% in 2015-16, 82.9% in 2017-18 and 83.8% in 2018-19.PPAC (Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas): Ready Reckoner, November 2019, key petroleum indicators ↗“Import dependency (based on consumption) PPAC % 80.6 81.7 82.9 83.8 83.3 84.5”
- ADNOC's agreement with ISPRL covers storage of 5.86 million barrels of its crude in underground facilities at Mangalore, Karnataka.ADNOC Signs Agreement For 5.86m Barrels Strategic Crude Oil Reserve in India - ADNOC press release, 2017 ↗“The agreement with ISPRL, an Indian government-owned company mandated to store crude oil for emergency needs, covers the storage of 5.86 million barrels of ADNOC crude oil in underground facilities, at the Karnataka facility.”
- SDG target 7.2: by 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.Goal 7 - Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations ↗“Target 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 339words · Minimalist IAS
India's oil import dependence was 80.6% of consumption in 2015-16, according to the oil ministry's PPAC, and much of that oil and its gas comes from West Asia. Gulf supply therefore shapes India's growth, inflation and current account.
Why West Asia is central to India's energy security
- Supply base: in 2015-16 Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE were among India's top six crude suppliers (MEA), and Qatar supplies LNG under a long-term Petronet contract.
- Human stake: the Gulf diaspora sends large remittances, giving India a direct interest in the region's stability.
India's energy policy cooperation with West Asia
India–West Asia energy ties: Crude supply; LNG contracts; Strategic storage; Upstream stakes; Connectivity; Diaspora
- Buyer to partner: the Riyadh Declaration with Saudi Arabia (2010) and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UAE (2017) tie energy to investment and security cooperation.
- Strategic storage: under a 2017 agreement with ISPRL, ADNOC of Abu Dhabi stores 5.86 million barrels of crude in underground facilities at Mangalore, a buffer for emergencies.
- Upstream stakes: Indian firms sought equity, as in Iran's Farzad-B gas field, where, since then (February 2020), Iran said it would give development to an Iranian company.
- Connectivity: Chabahar port in Iran opens a faster route for goods to Iran, Central Asia and West Asia.
Risks in this dependence
- Price volatility: oil shocks feed inflation and widen the fiscal and current-account deficits.
- Regional rivalry and sanctions: the Iran-Saudi rivalry, intra-Gulf tensions and sanctions on Iran narrow India's choices.
- Chokepoint: India's Gulf oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Way forward
- Diversify: more suppliers and routes, long-term contracts and equity oil abroad.
- Buffer: expand strategic reserves, inviting more producers to store crude in India.
- Balance: engage rival West Asian states without taking sides, keeping energy separate from their quarrels.
- Transition: scale up renewables and gas to cut oil intensity.
West Asia will anchor India's energy for years; the aim is not to leave it but to make the dependence manageable while advancing SDG target 7.2, a substantially higher share of renewable energy by 2030.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
