New Delhi, March 3 -- The assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and retaliatory strikes between Israel-US and Iran have pushed the Gulf into its most volatile phase in decades, disrupting energy flows, shipping lanes, and air travel.

For India and global markets, the risks are immediate:

Ships are stranded near Hormuz, exporters face higher costs, and travellers are postponing plans. While the market hopes the Iran war remains brief, a prolonged standoff could deepen inflation pressures, strain trade flows and test energy security across Asia and Europe.

As India positions itself as an AI and data-centre hub, concerns are rising over energy and water use. According to the International Energy Agency, AI data cen...