India, in Infographics: Energy & Security
Twenty-Eight Gates On Earth. A Handful Decide Whether India Gets Its Oil.
Every Barrel India Imports Crosses A Maritime Chokepoint. The Bright Yellow Beacons Carry India’s Crude — Hormuz 45%, Suez And Bab El-Mandeb 40% Between Them, The Cape 14%; Three Gates Decide About 85% Of What India Burns. Every Other Gate Glows Gold, Sized By Traffic. Hover Or Tap Any Gate For Its Numbers; The Bar Ranks All 28 By Ships A Year — The Busiest, Off In East Asia, Carry None Of India’s Oil.
Beacon & Bar Size = Ships Per Year. Yellow Beacons = Carry India’s Crude (Share Shown); Gold Beacons = Every Other Gate. India Drawn With Full Kashmir & Ladakh. Source: politypolicy.com/OilVulnerability (Slide 4).
Loads Inside Hormuz
45%
Iraq, Saudi, Kuwaiti And Emirati Crude — Nearly Half Of India’s Oil, Through One Strait.
Rides Just Three Gates
~85%
Hormuz Plus Suez And Bab El-Mandeb Carry About 85% Of What India Burns.
Hormuz Was Shut In 2026
106 Days
There Is No Detour From The Gulf — Only The Long Road Round The Cape.
Busiest Gates Are India’s
0 Of Top 4
Taiwan, Korea, Malacca And Bohai See The Most Ships On Earth — And Carry None Of India’s Oil.
What The Map Says
India’s Oil Risk Is Not Everywhere — It Is Concentrated In The West. The Busiest Chokepoints On Earth Are East Asia’s; India’s Exposure Sits At The Mouth Of The Gulf And The Ends Of The Red Sea. Close Hormuz And There Is No Detour, Only The Long Road Round The Cape — Which Is Why Half A Waterway Can Move The Price Of Everything India Burns.
Why These Gates Are In Trouble
Hormuz — No Way Out But One
The Strait Of Hormuz Is The Only Sea Route Out Of The Persian Gulf. In 2026 It Was Shut For 106 Days; No Pipeline Bypass Comes Close To Replacing Its Volume. Nearly Half Of India’s Crude Loads Inside It.
The Red Sea — A Corridor Under Fire
Suez And Bab El-Mandeb Are The Two Ends Of The Red Sea Short-Cut. Houthi Attacks On Shipping Since 2023 Have Pushed Many Cargoes Off It And Round The Cape Of Good Hope — Two Extra Weeks And More Cost On Every Barrel.
The Busiest Gates Aren’t India’s
Taiwan, Korea, Malacca And Bohai See More Ships Than Any Others On Earth — But They Move China’s, Japan’s And Korea’s Cargo. India’s Vulnerability Is Narrower, And Therefore Sharper.
How This Was Built
The Gates
The 28 Maritime Chokepoints From The Source, Placed By Location And Pulsing As Beacons Sized By Ships Per Year. Bright Yellow Beacons Carry India’s Crude, With Their Share Of India’s Imports; Every Other Gate Glows Gold.
Map & Sources
India Is Drawn From Its Official Boundary, Including The Whole Of Jammu & Kashmir And Ladakh. Ships Per Year And India’s Crude Shares Are From The Source Story; Ships Per Day Are Derived (Year ÷ 365).
Source: politypolicy.com/OilVulnerability (Slide 4). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
