China Bound Russian Oil Tanker Diverted To India

25 Mar 2026 CW Team

Ship tracking data showed the vessel appeared in North Europe and West Europe in January, South Asia in February and in Southeast Asia in March, indicating that it circumnavigated India before making a U-turn to head to the west coast. Reports said the change of course followed a United States decision to allow India to import Russian crude for 30 days. Analysts noted that such mid voyage changes are uncommon for chartered ships and said the routing was atypical.

Sanctions records indicate the ship was blacklisted by multiple jurisdictions and was previously named Lang Ya. A senior analyst at Rystad Energy characterised the vessel as part of a sanctioned fleet that operates with limited transparency and said such vessels are effectively controlled by the Russian state. Port authorities said one tanker was already discharging Russian Urals crude at the single point mooring (SPM) and that at least three more tankers are expected at the port by month end.

Additional supplies are arriving from Saudi Arabian terminals after diversions around the Strait of Hormuz, including shipments from Yanbu totalling zero point one three six mn t and zero point two six mn t destined for Mangalore. The refiner has an installed refining capacity of 18.2 mn t per annum and officials said combined cargoes from Russia and Saudi Arabia will provide adequate stock. The port waived cargo charges for crude and liquefied petroleum gas while vessel handling fees continue to apply, with waivers equivalent to Rs3.4 mn and Rs5 mn reported in recent cases.

A crude oil tanker bound for China changed course and is now headed to New Mangalore port carrying zero point one one million (mn) tonnes (t) of Urals crude, equivalent to zero point seven seven mn barrels. The Cameroon registered tanker Aqua Titan departed Primorsk on January 18 and was recorded at Port Suez before transiting through the Singapore Strait. Port sources said the ship is expected to arrive on March 20 and that its arrival would bolster supplies for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. Ship tracking data showed the vessel appeared in North Europe and West Europe in January, South Asia in February and in Southeast Asia in March, indicating that it circumnavigated India before making a U-turn to head to the west coast. Reports said the change of course followed a United States decision to allow India to import Russian crude for 30 days. Analysts noted that such mid voyage changes are uncommon for chartered ships and said the routing was atypical. Sanctions records indicate the ship was blacklisted by multiple jurisdictions and was previously named Lang Ya. A senior analyst at Rystad Energy characterised the vessel as part of a sanctioned fleet that operates with limited transparency and said such vessels are effectively controlled by the Russian state. Port authorities said one tanker was already discharging Russian Urals crude at the single point mooring (SPM) and that at least three more tankers are expected at the port by month end. Additional supplies are arriving from Saudi Arabian terminals after diversions around the Strait of Hormuz, including shipments from Yanbu totalling zero point one three six mn t and zero point two six mn t destined for Mangalore. The refiner has an installed refining capacity of 18.2 mn t per annum and officials said combined cargoes from Russia and Saudi Arabia will provide adequate stock. The port waived cargo charges for crude and liquefied petroleum gas while vessel handling fees continue to apply, with waivers equivalent to Rs3.4 mn and Rs5 mn reported in recent cases.

Infrastructure Urban

05 May 2026

Meghalaya And Assam Hold Talks To End Transport Stoppages In Garo Hills

Meghalaya and Assam have opened talks aimed at ending recent stoppages of commodity transport in the Garo Hills, officials said. The deputy chief minister, in charge of home affairs, reported that both state governments are coordinating to resolve disruptions and to restore normal movement of goods. He acknowledged that misunderstandings may have contributed to the incidents and that clarification between administrative units is under way. The discussions are intended to produce practical arrangements that will allow consignments to move without hindrance while respecting local procedures. The..

Infrastructure Transport

05 May 2026

Kochi Metro Records 1.375 mn Rise In Passengers In FY26

Kochi Metro recorded a marginal rise in ridership in the financial year 2025-26, carrying 1.375 mn more passengers than in the previous year. The service carried 36.8 million (mn) passengers in 2025-26 compared with 35.5 mn in 2024-25, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.9 per cent. The growth was described as distributed rather than concentrated in isolated spikes. A month-wise analysis shows steady gains across quarters. In the first quarter, ridership increased from 8.57 mn to 8.84 mn, while the second quarter rose from 9.13 mn to 9.51 mn. These trends indicated broad-based improvemen..

Infrastructure Transport

05 May 2026

Ghaziabad Plans 16km Metro Link To Delhi Via Hindon Airport

Ghaziabad authorities are pursuing a 16 km metro link to Delhi that will run via Hindon Airport, and a detailed project report is under way. The plan is intended to improve connectivity between Ghaziabad and the national capital and to provide an interchange with the airport. Officials said the project is being studied to assess alignments, station locations and cost estimates ahead of formal approvals and tendering. The announcement follows the inauguration of the Delhi?Faridabad metro extension, which will offer hassle free travel for around 0.2 mn daily commuters between the national capita..