Last Updated on April 2, 2026 10:00 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
ANDALIB AKHTER / New Delhi
Government of India has announced various measures to ameliorate situation arising out of West Asian Crisis. Briefing media Additional Secretary, Gulf at the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem Mahajan informed that the government is closely monitoring the situation in the Gulf and West Asia, with the safety and welfare of Indian nationals as the top priority. He noted that the Missions and polls continue to be working with local authorities to resolve issues related to visas, consular services and transit support while providing necessary assistance to nationals. He added that Special focus is on students, with efforts to ensure their academic schedules remain unaffected through coordination with schools, education boards and the National Testing Agency for exams like JEE and NEET.
The government also said that full customs duty exemption will be provided on critical petrochemical products till 30th June this year amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia. Addressing the media at the Interministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, Member of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Sanjay Mangal, said that this measure has been taken as a temporary and targeted relief in order to ensure the continued availability of critical petrochemical inputs for the domestic industry and safeguard supply stability in the country. He added that this exemption is expected to benefit a large number of sectors that are dependent on petrochemicals and intermediate products like plastics, textiles, and pharmaceuticals, among others. He said that this will also provide relief to consumers of their final products.
Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lav Agarwal, informed that exporters who hold Advance Authorisations or Export Promotion Capital Goods authorisations have been given an additional three-month period till 31st August to fulfil their export commitments. He added that no license will lapse and no penalty will be imposed during this period, which will reduce the stress on the exporters. Mr Agarwal also informed that the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products, which had been cut to 50% in February this year, has been restored to 100% with effect from the 23rd of March. He further stated that this will help exporters remain cost-competitive.
Underlining the measures taken by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Additional Secretary said the Registration cum Allocation Certificate validity for basmati exports has been increased by 45 days at no additional cost to exporters. He also informed that the Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) was implemented by the government last month. Mr Agarwal said that this is aimed at fostering trade continuity, relieving cost burden and protecting the supply chain.
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said crude availability in the country is normal and refineries are operating at maximum capacity. She noted that the government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel to keep prices stable while allowing a portion of the burden to be absorbed by the Oil Marketing Companies. She said that the Government has made arrangements to ensure an adequate crude supply for the next 60 days. The Joint Secretary added that the country’s refineries are operating at optimal capacity, and no instances of fuel shortages have been reported at retail outlets. She informed that the country’s crude inventory is currently sufficient. Natural gas supply to domestic consumers is fully assured at 100%.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal informed that around 1,200 Indian nationals, including 845 students, have been assisted in exiting Iran through land borders into Armenia and Azerbaijan. He said that several Indian nationals have been relocated to safer areas within Iran in recent days. He added that India Government has expressed its gratitude to the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan for their support in enabling the safe transit of Indian citizens.