45,000-Ton LPG Cargo Heads To India As ‘Sarv Shakti’ Crosses Strait Of Hormuz

New Delhi: The Strait of Hormuz has remained almost closed since the war between Iran and America. Very few ships have shown the courage to pass through this route. But on Saturday, a plane did what had been impossible for weeks, and all of India breathed a sigh of relief.

Is this ship 'Sarva Shakti', and where did it come from?

The giant LPG carrier 'Sarv Shakti', sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands, managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz carrying about 45,000 tonnes of LPG. This ship had departed from Ghantoot port of UAE. Out of the 20 crew members on board, 18 are Indian citizens. The buyer of all these goods is the government company Indian Oil Corporation. The ship is now heading towards Visakhapatnam and is expected to reach there by 13 May 2026. 

Why had it become so difficult to cross the Strait of Hormuz?

Traffic through Hormuz came to a near halt after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February. Recently, only six ships passed through this route in a day, which is much less than usual. 

The situation worsened further in April. Iran initially said passage was open, but as the ships began to leave, IRGC boats began firing at them. Two Indian ships—oil tanker 'Sanmar Herald' and bulk carrier 'Jag Arnav'—were also fired upon and forced to turn back.

What happened to 'Sarv Shakti' on the way?

For some time the ship disappeared from tracking systems. In maritime parlance this is called 'going dark'. Ships do this when they face a security threat and want to hide their location. The ship was seen passing very close to Iran's Larak and Qeshm islands, considered the most sensitive and dangerous parts of the Strait of Hormuz. The entire transit took about 10 to 14 hours. 

How deep has the gas shortage become in India?

India is the world's third largest oil importer and second largest consumer of LPG. There is a severe shortage of cooking gas in the country after supplies from West Asia stopped; people are standing in lines and restaurants have reduced their menus. 

To deal with the situation, India has increased domestic LPG production by 60 percent to 54,000 tonnes. According to Oil Minister Hardeep Puri, the country's daily consumption has come down to 80,000 tonnes. PBS

Is the danger now over, or will we have to wait longer?

Sarva Shakti's visit is the first confirmed Hormuz transit by an India-bound ship since the US blockade began. Earlier, only a tanker named 'Desh Garima' was able to slip away secretly by switching off its transponder. India has so far managed to get a total of eight LPG vessels out of Hormuz through bilateral negotiations with Iran. But many ships are still stranded in the Persian Gulf. 

When will this Street of Hormuz open and when will it close? It keeps changing every day. The successful return of Sarv Shakti is definitely a ray of hope, but the fight to provide gas to India's kitchens is still going on.