The Sun Saved Us. The Oil Tanker Disagrees.
The Take
The PM says clean energy investments cushioned the West Asia crisis. The standing numbers: India still imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude, and before the war nearly half crossed the Strait of Hormuz. In May he asked people to use less petrol. Six months later, the sun absorbed the shock. The tankers did not get the memo.
The Wire
PM Modi said clean energy investments helped cushion the impact of the West Asia crisis and announced plans for another 500 GW of renewable capacity over the next decade. India imports nearly 85% of its crude oil, per an April 2026 IEEFA report, and before the US-Iran conflict about 45% of those imports passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which closed during the war. In May 2026 the PM had asked citizens to use petrol and diesel sparingly to save foreign exchange.
Why it matters
The crisis is declared weathered, but the structural dependence that made it dangerous, an 85% import bill on a chokepoint that actually closed, is unchanged six months later.
The receipts
Source: The Hindu