Operation Urja Suraksha (lit. 'Energy protection') is a maritime security operation conducted by India to protect the nation's energy supplies by escorting Indian-flagged ships and ships destined to reach Indian ports during the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis.
Background
Under Operation Sankalp, the Indian Navy had embarked on a policy of constant maritime patrol within the Indian Ocean region as a means to safeguard the nation's shipping interests and trade routes. The Persian Gulf plays a significant role in India's maritime trade with West Asia, from where India imports much of its oil supplies. In recent years, India has been reported to import over 80% of its petroleum and 90% of its Natural Gas via this strategic waterway. With tensions arising in the middle east following a United States buildup of ships between December 2025 and March 2026, multiple Indian naval assets were deployed across the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea , Southeast Asia and the central Indian Ocean, aimed at boosting naval diplomacy efforts. India had reduced purchases of Iranian oil amid sanctions pressure and enforcement actions targeting Tehran's "shadow fleet" from 2019, with Indian authorities in February 2026 seizing multiple vessels linked to illicit Iranian oil shipments as part of broader efforts to curb sanctioned energy trade and align with international sanctions enforcement initiatives. Many of these vessels have been sanctioned by the United States. India also remained alert on the potential for a week-long conflict, should such a situation arise. When the 2026 Iran war began, an Indian Navy destroyer and a frigate had been deployed in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden under Operation Sankalp. The destroyer, INS Surat (D69), had visited Bahrain to conduct joint training with elements from the Bahraini Navy and the US-CENTCOM under Combined Task Force-154 (CTF-154). On 1 March, the Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet Committee on Security, the country's highest decision-making body on security and strategic affairs, had convened a meeting to review the West Asia conflict and its implications for India. As on 2 March, India was reported to be "closely monitoring" the situation while the warships could be immediately diverted for HADR operations, as per a senior defence official. On 10 March, The New York Times reported that the Indian government was evaluating options to escort the Indian-flagged vessels that were stuck near the crisis-hit Strait of Hormuz. As of then, there were 36–38 such vessels with 1,100 sailors, all of which were safe with the crew members reported to be having sufficient provisions. The ships are complying to "enhanced safety protocols" including reporting to authorities at a higher frequency. Indian ship owners had requested the government for naval escorts. The NYT quoted Captain P.C. Meena, a senior member of India's apex maritime authority. Unlike the passive monitoring protocols seen in previous years, the Navy implemented close-protection escorts for India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and crude oil tankers. Through back-channel negotiations led by the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, India may have secured an informal guarantee from Tehran for the safe passage of Indian vessels, provided they are escorted by Indian naval assets and do not carry coalition materiel. On 25 March, Operation Urja Suraksha was reported to have been initiated to secure oil supplies from the Middle East to India. The Navy provides critical precise instructions to each ship through the Iran-controlled route, closer to the Iran coast than the official shipping lanes. Indian-headed tankers have taken routes that hug the Iranian coast before either dashing into international waters in Chabahar or sailing near Pakistani waters to avoid blockade from US Navy ships in the area.The Indian Navy vessels meet commercial shipping at a pre-arranged rendezvous point in the Gulf of Oman, safely away from both US and Iranian operational zones before escorting the ships to Indian ports. India was also among the five nations, including China, Russia, Iraq and Pakistan, whose ships were allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by the Foreign Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi on 26 March.
Indian ship transits
12–18 March On 12 March, 28 Indian vessels were struck near the Strait of Hormuz including 24 on the west of the choke point carrying 668 sailors and three more vessels to the east of the strait with 76 sailors on board. Before the Indian Navy started the evacuation, the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy guided most of the Indian vessels that were allowed to cross the region. Three warships were deployed in the Gulf of Oman during 14–15 March. One warship provided escort to each commercial vessel crossing the strait while two more remained on standby. Two task forces were reportedly deployed under Operation Sankalp. Indian Navy MH-60R helicopters were also seen engaged for maritime patrol. INS Surat also rescued eight Pakistani fishermen on 15 March who were stranded 170 nmi (310 km) east of Oman's Port of Duqm after their fishing vessel Islami had a fire accident.
Following the escort of the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi, there were 22 additional Indian ships with 611 seafarers in the west of Hormuz. All Indian seafarers are safe without any "untoward incident" in the last 24 hours, according to the Special Secretary at the Indian Shipping Ministry, Rajesh Kumar Sinha. Further, there are six more LPG tankers with a combined 3 lakh tonnes of LPG in the region.
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