At the recent G7 Summit in France, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a stark reminder to U.S. President Donald Trump that the consequences of the 2026 Iran War extended far beyond the immediate combatants. During their bilateral meeting, Modi noted that “Indians also lost their lives” in the conflict, underscoring how a war centered in the Middle East inflicted a heavy human and economic toll on India despite New Delhi remaining outside the fighting.
Modi was referring in particular to the deaths of three Indian sailors who were killed during a U.S. military operation near the Strait of Hormuz. The sailors were aboard a commercial tanker attempting to transit the strategic waterway when it was struck amid Washington’s enforcement of a maritime blockade against Iran.
The deaths became symbolic of a broader reality: India, though not a participant in the conflict, suffered significant casualties and economic disruption because of its deep ties to West Asia.
Throughout the nearly 40 days of hostilities, Indians found themselves caught in the crossfire across multiple countries and maritime routes. More than 10 Indian nationals were killed in maritime strikes and attacks across the Gulf region, while others were injured in Israel and neighboring states affected by the conflict.
The latest tragedy occurred on June 22 when a massive explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas hub killed 13 people and injured 66 others, making it one of the deadliest industrial accidents at a Gulf energy facility in recent years.
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Al Kaabi confirmed that many of the victims were Indian and Pakistani nationals working at the facility.
Subsequently, the Indian Embassy in Doha announced that Qatari authorities had confirmed the deaths of 12 Indian nationals in the incident. Numerous Indians were also among the injured, once again highlighting the enormous presence of Indian workers throughout the Gulf region.
For India, these losses have reinforced the extent to which its economic fortunes and human connections remain closely tied to the Middle East.
Among the most visible casualties of the war were Indian merchant sailors working aboard commercial vessels carrying oil and energy supplies through some of the world’s most heavily contested maritime corridors.
On March 1, Indian sailor Dixit Solanki was killed when the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker *MKD VYOM* was struck by an explosive projectile off the coast of Muscat, Oman.
Ten days later, on March 11, a senior Indian superintendent chief engineer lost his life when the U.S.-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged tanker *Safesea Vishnu* was attacked by Iranian explosive sea drones near Iraq’s Basra Al Zubair port.
The violence continued as Captain Ashish Kumar and Dalip Singh were killed when the tanker *Skylight* came under attack in the Gulf of Oman.
Later in March, two additional Indian merchant mariners were reported dead in separate attacks on shipping routes linking Gulf energy exporters with international markets.
The final major maritime tragedy involving Indian sailors occurred on June 10. Patnala Suresh, Aditya Sharma, and Shivanand Chaurasia were killed when the Palau-flagged oil tanker *MT Settebello* was struck by a projectile during a U.S. blockade enforcement operation near the Strait of Hormuz.
Altogether, nine Indian sailors lost their lives during the conflict, highlighting the dangers faced by civilian seafarers operating in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.
The deaths resonated strongly in India and became a significant public issue, prompting Prime Minister Modi to raise the matter directly with President Trump at the G7 Summit.
India’s vulnerability to the conflict stems from its extensive economic dependence on West Asia, particularly in the energy sector.
According to government data, India was importing nearly 91 percent of its crude oil requirements as of February 2026. More than 54 percent of those imports originated from West Asian countries.
The dependence is equally significant in the natural gas sector. Nearly 60 percent of India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports come from the Middle East.
Qatar alone supplies roughly 47 percent of India’s LNG imports, while the United Arab Emirates contributes an additional 13.5 percent.
Compared with other major energy-importing economies, India’s exposure is substantially higher. China sources approximately 26.5 percent of its LNG imports from the Middle East, while Japan’s dependence stands at only 10.7 percent. South Korea imports 35.3 percent of its LNG from the region, and Thailand about 26.8 percent.
European countries are even less exposed. France sources only around 1.3 percent of its LNG imports from the Middle East, while the Netherlands has virtually no dependence on the region for LNG supplies.
The Middle East is also critical for India’s agricultural sector, supplying nearly 40 percent of the country’s fertilizer imports.
A large share of these imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making the security of regional shipping lanes essential for India’s economy.
The conflict has not only threatened lives but also raised serious concerns about India’s energy security.
India purchases approximately 4.3 million barrels of crude oil every day, representing an annual import bill of around $180 billion under normal market conditions.
As tensions pushed global oil prices higher, analysts warned that India’s annual oil import bill could increase by more than $70 billion. Such an increase would place additional strain on government finances, businesses, and consumers already facing inflationary pressures.
Higher energy prices have also contributed to the weakening of the Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar, further increasing the cost of imports and complicating economic management.
For policymakers in New Delhi, the conflict demonstrated how instability thousands of kilometers away can rapidly translate into domestic economic challenges.
The human cost of the war extended beyond shipping lanes.
Several Indian nationals lost their lives in attacks and incidents across Gulf countries as missiles, drones, and debris reached civilian areas.
On March 13, two Indian nationals were killed and ten others injured when a drone crashed into the Al Awhi industrial area in Sohar, Oman.
Five days later, on March 18, an Indian citizen was killed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after being struck by debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile.
On March 24, another Indian national died in the United Arab Emirates during an Iranian missile interception operation.
In Doha, an Indian expatriate died following a trauma-induced cardiac emergency triggered by nearby missile explosions.
Meanwhile, on March 28, another Indian national was killed in Kuwait after a missile strike impacted infrastructure at a desalination facility.
These incidents reflected the geographical breadth of the conflict’s impact and the widespread presence of Indian communities across the Gulf region.
India’s connection to West Asia extends far beyond energy imports.
Between 8.8 million and 9.1 million Indian nationals currently live and work across the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, making them the largest expatriate community in the region.
According to data from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Indians account for roughly 30 percent of the Gulf workforce.
The largest concentrations are found in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which together host nearly two-thirds of all Indians living in the region.
These overseas workers play a crucial role in India’s economy through the remittances they send home.
In fiscal year 2025, India received approximately $135.4 billion in remittances, making it the largest recipient of remittance inflows in the world.
Remarkably, remittance inflows now exceed the amount of foreign direct investment retained in the country. While gross foreign investment remained substantial, profit repatriation and disinvestment reduced net retained FDI to just $7.65 billion.
As a result, remittances contributed by overseas Indians were more than 17 times larger than net foreign corporate investment remaining in India.
The Gulf region alone accounts for 38 percent of India’s total inward remittances, with the UAE contributing 19.2 percent by itself.
The 2026 Iran War demonstrated that India cannot remain insulated from instability in West Asia, even when it is not directly involved in military operations.
The deaths of Indian sailors and expatriate workers, disruptions to maritime trade routes, higher energy prices, and concerns over remittance flows all revealed the depth of India’s interconnectedness with the region.
With millions of Indian citizens living and working across the Gulf, and with the country heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil, gas, and fertilizer supplies, prolonged instability carries significant risks for India’s economic growth and national security.
For New Delhi, the conflict served as a sobering reminder that developments in West Asia are not distant geopolitical events. They have immediate consequences for Indian lives, livelihoods, and economic stability. As policymakers assess the lessons of the crisis, protecting overseas citizens and securing critical supply chains are likely to remain central priorities in India’s engagement with the region.
