South Asia
Op-ed: India Faces Fertilizer Shortage Amid Strait of Hormuz Closure
In the wake of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, international attention has mainly been focused on oil shipment disruptions, with nations turning to pipelines and reserves for relief. Less noticed is the constraint on fertilizer shipments- a critical agricultural input with no strategic reserves- leaving India facing uncertainty regarding over nearly 40% of this key supply, needed to ensure crop yields which are central to its domestic consumption and economic activity, especially during its upcoming June Kharif planting season.
India's Persian Gulf Dependence Becomes a Liability as Hormuz Crisis Deepens
India secured 60 days of crude oil supply and slashed fuel duties on Thursday as the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent the rupee to a record low. The Indian government was forced to invoke emergency commodity laws, an unmistakable sign that a conflict thousands of miles away is landing hard on one of Asia's largest economies.