New Delhi: The BRICS Summit 2026 has brought India’s growing concerns over energy security, the Strait of Hormuz and its strategic relationship with Iran into sharp focus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the summit highlighted India’s efforts to maintain diplomatic engagement with Tehran amid the continuing crisis in West Asia.
The meeting was Modi’s second interaction with Pezeshkian in less than two weeks. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations as well as recent developments in West Asia, with India reiterating its position that outstanding issues should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi also stressed the importance of lasting peace and stability in the region, freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers.
BRICS Summit Highlights India-Iran Strategic Ties
India’s engagement with Iran has become increasingly important as the West Asian crisis puts pressure on international shipping and energy supplies. For New Delhi, ties with Tehran extend beyond crude oil and include connectivity, maritime security, regional stability and access to Central Asia.
Iran’s participation in the BRICS Summit 2026 also provides India with an important multilateral platform for continued engagement. New Delhi sees BRICS as a forum for cooperation among emerging economies and countries of the Global South.
Modi appreciated Iran’s continued participation in BRICS-related meetings despite the difficult regional circumstances. The two sides also discussed cooperation in multilateral organisations.
Strait of Hormuz Becomes Major Concern
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the biggest concerns for India amid the West Asian conflict. The strategic waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is a major route for global energy supplies.
Shipping data cited in the report showed that vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply, with only seven transits recorded on September 10 compared with a pre-war daily average of around 125.
For India, any prolonged disruption could have serious economic consequences because the country depends significantly on imported energy.
Around 55 percent of India’s crude oil imports were estimated to have traditionally passed through Hormuz before the current crisis. However, India has worked to diversify its supply routes, with the share of crude arriving through non-Hormuz routes rising to around 70 percent during the initial phase of the conflict.
LPG Supplies Add To India’s Energy Challenge
Crude oil is not the only energy concern for India. Liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, is another major issue.
India imports around 60 percent of its LPG consumption, while approximately 90 percent of those LPG imports had traditionally arrived through the Strait of Hormuz.
Any prolonged disruption of the waterway could therefore put additional pressure on transportation, energy prices and household consumption.
India’s emphasis on maintaining freedom of navigation reflects these economic concerns. A prolonged regional conflict could increase oil prices, shipping insurance costs and inflation while creating additional pressure on India’s energy security.
Modi-Pezeshkian Meeting Focuses on Peace and Maritime Safety
During his meeting with Pezeshkian, Modi emphasised India’s consistent position that disputes should be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.
India has a direct interest in maintaining stability in West Asia because of its large energy requirements, extensive trade links and the presence of Indian citizens and seafarers across the region.
The safety of seafarers is particularly significant because Indian nationals represent one of the world’s largest maritime workforces. Disruptions to major shipping routes can affect both their safety and international trade.
Chabahar Gives India A Strategic Alternative
India’s relationship with Iran is also important because of connectivity. The Chabahar Port provides India with an important route towards Afghanistan and Central Asia without relying on routes through Pakistan.
The port is therefore more than a commercial project for New Delhi. It forms part of India’s broader strategy to develop alternative connectivity routes and strengthen its engagement with Central Asia.
India’s interest in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) further strengthens the importance of Iran. The multimodal corridor aims to connect India with Iran, the Caucasus, Russia and Europe.
At a time when geopolitical tensions can disrupt traditional trade routes, alternative connectivity corridors have gained greater strategic importance.
India Maintains Strategic Autonomy
The developments surrounding the BRICS Summit 2026 demonstrate the balancing act facing India in West Asia.
New Delhi maintains important relationships with several major actors, including Iran, the United States, Israel and Gulf countries. At the same time, India has continued to advocate dialogue and diplomacy instead of further military escalation.
For India, maintaining relations with Iran is therefore not simply a question of choosing one strategic partner over another. It is linked to the country’s wider policy of strategic autonomy.
A prolonged conflict in West Asia could affect crude oil prices, LPG supplies, shipping costs, trade and inflation. It could also create challenges for the evacuation and safety of Indian nationals in the region.
BRICS Offers A Wider Diplomatic Platform
Iran’s participation in BRICS gives India another avenue to engage with Tehran while focusing on broader areas of cooperation.
The grouping has increasingly become an important platform for discussions involving the Global South, economic resilience, innovation, sustainable development and alternative forms of international cooperation.
For India, the challenge is to ensure that BRICS remains focused on practical cooperation while simultaneously using the platform to strengthen diplomatic engagement during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.
The Modi-Pezeshkian meeting therefore carries significance beyond bilateral relations. It reflects India’s attempt to protect its energy interests, maintain maritime security and preserve diplomatic space amid a rapidly changing West Asian situation.
With the Strait of Hormuz facing severe disruption, India has a clear interest in restoring stability and keeping legitimate commercial shipping routes open.
The BRICS Summit 2026 has consequently highlighted a crucial element of India’s foreign policy: maintaining productive ties with Iran while protecting energy supplies, strengthening alternative connectivity and preserving strategic autonomy.
For New Delhi, stability in West Asia is directly connected to India’s economic and national security interests. The message from the Modi-Pezeshkian engagement is clear—India wants dialogue over confrontation, secure maritime routes and continued cooperation with Iran despite the difficult geopolitical environment.
