India, March 13 -- Southern Asia is positioning itself for a major expansion in liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption, as industry forecasts point to strong demand growth across India, Bangladesh and Pakistan over the next decade, according to a new report.

The push comes amid heightened global energy uncertainty following the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, which has disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz-a route that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG trade-and triggered volatility in energy markets. The crisis has exposed the vulnerability of Asian LNG importers even as the region plans a major buildout of gas infrastructure.

Data in Global Energy Monitor (GEM)'s Asia Gas Tracker show that India, Bangla...