The Government held an inter-ministerial briefing at the National Media Centre to update citizens on West Asia developments and domestic supply measures. Officers from relevant ministries outlined coordinated actions to safeguard fuel, food and maritime operations. Senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation described steps to protect air connectivity and passenger interests.

The Ministry of Agriculture said seed availability for Kharif 2026 is comfortable, with a requirement of 16.646 mn quintals and availability of 18.574 mn quintals, yielding a surplus of about 1.929 mn quintals. Major crops showed positive trends and seed inputs for both Kharif and Rabi are in place. Fertiliser requirement for Kharif 2026 is assessed at 39.054 mn t with opening stocks of 18.0 mn t and further augmentation is under way. Agrochemical production to February 2026 was 261,099 t against an estimated demand of 74,266 t and continued monitoring is being maintained.

All refineries are operating at high capacity and domestic stocks of petrol and diesel are adequate, with retail prices unchanged. The Government has reduced excise duties by Rs 10 per litre and imposed export levies of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel to secure domestic supplies. LPG supply is being prioritised, online bookings have risen to 92 per cent and over 6.0 mn domestic cylinders were delivered yesterday while more than 0.39 mn five kilogram FTL cylinders have been sold since 23 March 2026. Kerosene allocations and alternative fuel options have been mobilised to ease pressure on LPG.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation indicated a calibrated 25 per cent adjustment in aviation turbine fuel pricing for scheduled domestic carriers to maintain operational stability, noting that over 0.45 mn passengers fly daily on domestic routes. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reported that Indian seafarers in the region are safe, with 18 Indian flagged vessels and 485 seafarers remaining in the western Persian Gulf and repatriation ongoing. Enforcement agencies have conducted more than 2,800 raids and over 1,100 inspections to deter hoarding and black marketing. The Government urged citizens to avoid panic buying, rely on official sources and conserve energy.