As volatility continues to cloud the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, India has begun actively evaluating a rerouting strategy through Omani waters to safeguard critical cargo movement. The move comes amid growing recognition that intermittent announcements around the strait’s opening and closure have added confusion rather than operational clarity for global shipping lines.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has identified around 40 priority vessels carrying essential cargo for India, including energy shipments and key industrial inputs. These vessels are now at the centre of a coordinated response involving diplomatic and logistical channels, with the Ministry of External Affairs also engaged to facilitate safer transit options.
At the heart of this strategy lies a shift towards leveraging Oman’s maritime corridor. Ports such as Port of Duqm and Port of Sohar are being seen as potential gateways to bypass the most sensitive stretches of Hormuz. While geographically close to the chokepoint, these routes offer relatively lower exposure to direct conflict zones, making them viable for controlled and selective cargo movement.
However, this is far from a full-scale alternative. Industry stakeholders point out that Omani routes lack the capacity to absorb the volume typically handled by Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of global oil trade passes under normal conditions. Instead, the current approach reflects a prioritisation strategy, ensuring that high-value and time-sensitive cargo continues to move while less critical shipments face delays.
Shipping lines and insurers have remained cautious, with war-risk premiums and security concerns effectively rendering the strait commercially unviable despite its technical accessibility. The result is a fragmented routing landscape, where operators are forced to weigh cost, time, and safety in real time.
For India, the implications extend beyond immediate cargo movement. With a significant share of its crude and LNG imports transiting through the Gulf, prolonged disruption could tighten supply chains and inflate logistics costs. The Oman rerouting plan, therefore, is not just a stopgap measure but a signal of a broader strategic shift towards diversifying maritime dependencies.
As geopolitical negotiations continue without a clear resolution in sight, the focus is steadily moving from waiting for Hormuz to stabilise to building resilience around its uncertainty.
