New Delhi, April 29 -- India is working on a plan to revive the Shipping Corp. of India's (SCI) maritime services to West Asia, in a move aimed at supporting domestic exporters and bolstering the supply of essential commodities, particularly energy imports, from the region, a government official said.

The government is working on addressing multiple challenges, and it will take some time before services can be resumed, as the Strait of Hormuz-a key waterway between Iran and Oman through which nearly a fifth of global oil flows-remains severely disrupted, Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, told reporters on Wednesday.

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpa...