India, March 3 -- The Iran war has exposed a structural weakness in India's economic engine-a precarious lack of oil buffers. As Israeli and US strikes on Iran effectively shutter the Strait of Hormuz-the world's most vital energy artery-New Delhi finds itself racing against a clock that is ticking much faster than those of its neighbors.

While Asia's largest economies, including China, rely heavily on the Persian Gulf, India's "just-in-time" approach to energy security has left it exposed.

The disparity in regional preparedness is stark. While China has spent years aggressively filling its strategic petroleum reserves, India's safety net remains thin.

"China has at least six months' worth of crude supplies in storage," Ajay Parmar, di...