India, March 3 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

Following the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East and the evolving global energy situation, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, briefed the media on the country's preparedness in the current circumstances.

It was informed that India is the third largest importer, fourth largest refiner, and fifth largest exporter of petroleum products globally. The country is well stocked with crude oil and inventories of key petroleum products including petrol, diesel and ATF to deal with short-term disruptions arising from the Middle East.

It was further apprised that in the last few years, India has ensured both availability and affordability of energy for...