New Delhi, March 28 -- India's petroleum reserves have come under scrutiny since the outbreak of the West Asia war, with concerns intensifying as government data showed India's current capacity in strategic reserves can only cover roughly five-six days of total consumption.

Now, this is not as alarming as it seems, as India's overall capacity is much higher. However, the current crisis has put a spotlight on India's limited ability in the face of severe shocks to oil, gas and petroleum product supply.

India currently has three strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs)-buried in underground caverns-in Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, and Padur. These together have a storage capacity of 5.33 million tonnes. As per Mint calculations, this can cover aro...