India, May 18 -- The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow 33-km stretch of water, has once again sent tremors through the global economy. For India, this is not just a geopolitical headline; it is a direct economic shock. Tensions in West Asia have pushed up our energy and fertiliser bills, weakened the rupee, and rattled the portfolios of tens of millions. As this drags on, the impact will be felt across businesses and in most households.

We have seen this movie before, in 1990, 2008, 2022, and now again. Each crisis exposes the same structural vulnerability: India's dependence on imported fossil fuels. While every shock triggers some response, the underlying exposure remains. Next time must be different and for that, we must act now.

Consider t...