Kathmandu. The ongoing war in the Middle East is showing signs of a direct impact on India’s energy supply.

Petronet LNG, the country’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer, has warned that some operations could be disrupted. This has raised concerns that gas supplies in the world’s most populous country could be tight.

The company said in a notice on the stock exchange on Tuesday night that the ships could not reach safely from Ras Lafan, the loading port of Qatar Energy, through the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar Energy this week announced the suspension of LNG production and is considered a major supplier to the Indian market.

Petronet LNG said it had sent a “force majeure” notice to Qatar Energy on its three tankers — Disha, Rahi and Asim. The company said it had received a similar notice from Qatar Energy. In addition, its domestic customers such as GAIL (India), Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) have also been notified as force majeure.

The company said it was too early to assess the extent of the impact. But according to local media, some domestic gas suppliers have already hinted at minor cuts to supplies to industrial customers.

India imports oil and gas for a large part of the country. On Tuesday, the government warned of “serious consequences” for the economy if the war prolonged. However, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said that the country’s stock is ‘satisfactory’ and a phased measure could be adopted if necessary.

The Hindu daily, citing sources, said India has crude oil reserves for about 25 days and LNG supplies for the next two-three weeks. But analysts say rising crude oil prices could pose a challenge for South Asian economies.

Analysts at BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said Sri Lanka would face the biggest impact on GDP due to external financial pressures. They warned that India would also face more economic pressure due to its high crude oil import dependence.

Thus, there are indications that the instability in the Middle East is beginning to have a direct impact on the South Asian economy through the energy market.