At a moment when tensions in the Gulf are once again rising — marked by instability in the Strait of Hormuz and the stalling of US–Iran diplomacy — much of the analysis remains narrowly focused on familiar powers and traditional alliances. This framing misses a critical shift. India, long viewed as an external economic partner, is now becoming a consequential security stakeholder in West Asia. Not through military projection, but through something potentially more durable: Deep economic exposure, strategic interdependence and a growing capacity to shape the conditions for stability.

More than 60% of India’s crude oil imports originate from West Asia. The uninterrupted flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz is, therefore, not simply a strategic priority but an economic lifeline. Recent threats to shipping lanes and heightened maritime risk have exposed the vulnerability of this dependence. For both Gulf States and India, escalation is no longer merely undesirable; it is economically untenable.

The collapse of diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran adds a further layer of uncertainty. Rather than resolution, the region now faces a prolonged phase of managed confrontation — one in which miscalculation becomes more likely and localised incidents risk triggering wider disruption. For India, this environment reinforces the........

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