India, Nov. 7 -- When Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in February 2026, oil and petroleum product prices responded almost immediately. Germans suddenly had to pay unprecedented prices for petrol. Indians paid more for cooking and driving as LPG and fuel prices surged. A conflict that neither of our countries is part of continues to hurt our economies.

The lesson is clear: Dependencies in energy supply pose a security challenge. However, the more we harness our renewable energy potential - solar, wind, biogas, green hydrogen - at home, the less reliant we are on oil and gas shipping through maritime choke points in distant regions. In times of great power competition and the weaponisation of trade, energy transition makes our countries m...