Sonia Gandhi Joins Instagram, Unveils First Look Of Memoir ‘Belonging’

New Delhi, Oct 22: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi made her Instagram debut on Thursday, using her first post to reveal the cover of her forthcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. The book is scheduled for worldwide release on November 10, with pre-orders already open.

First Post On Instagram

In her debut video, Sonia Gandhi is seen receiving the first copies of the memoir and sharing sweets with her daughter, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She described the book as “a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong.”

Until now, the senior Congress leader had no personal social media account. Her new Instagram profile follows Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, and had crossed 10,700 followers shortly after her first post.

Memoir Details

The 544-page memoir will be published globally by Alfred A. Knopf, while HarperCollins India will release it in India on November 10. HarperCollins has described it as a deeply personal account of love, identity, duty and belonging, offering an insider’s perspective on India’s journey.

The announcement ends weeks of uncertainty over the memoir’s Indian publication after Penguin Random House India said it would not be the domestic publisher. HarperCollins India subsequently acquired the publishing rights.

Publisher Row

Penguin Random House India rejected suggestions that it withdrew because Sonia Gandhi declined editorial changes. The publisher said fact-checking and editorial recommendations are a normal part of publishing, and maintained that it had remained willing to publish the book.

The company said it would not comment further on confidential discussions with the author. The memoir’s release is now being closely watched as one of the most anticipated political books of the year.

Tata Power To Set Up Rs 54-Crore AI-Focused Global Capability Centre In Odisha

Oct 22: Tata Power is establishing a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Khordha district, Odisha, with an initial investment of Rs 54.31 crore. The facility, expected to become fully operational within three months, will create 110 high-skilled jobs and is the first GCC approved under the state’s dedicated GCC policy.

 Representational Image 

AI-Led Energy Solutions

The centre will develop digital solutions for the power and energy sector using artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI and agentic AI. Its work will support asset health monitoring, demand forecasting, operational efficiency and investment planning across Tata Power’s businesses.

It will also work on emerging technologies such as knowledge graphs, blockchain, digital twins and simulation systems. These tools are expected to support renewable energy, manufacturing, power grids and pumped-hydro projects across both construction and operational requirements.

Jobs And Commercial Potential

The centre will bring together professionals in digital technology, engineering and energy analytics. Roles are expected to include AI specialists, data scientists, digital platform engineers, cloud infrastructure engineers and power-sector domain experts.

Besides serving Tata Power’s internal operations, the facility will develop digital products and services for external customers, opening possibilities to commercialise technologies created in Odisha.

Boost For Odisha’s GCC Push

Odisha’s GCC Policy, unveiled last year, aims to attract investments of more than Rs 1,000 crore and develop at least five GCC hubs across Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Paradip, Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur. The policy also targets over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Tata Power’s project was among 19 proposals worth about Rs 3,280 crore cleared by the Odisha government in September, reinforcing the state’s effort to build a knowledge- and technology-driven services ecosystem.

Delhi-NCR Sees Season’s First Poor Air Day; GRAP-I Curbs Take Effect As Winter Chill Sets In

Oct 22: Delhi-NCR woke up to a noticeable chill on Thursday morning, but the drop in temperature brought little relief from pollution. The capital recorded its first “poor” air-quality day of the season, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to enforce Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region.

 Representational Image 

Air Quality Worsens

Delhi’s overall AQI rose sharply to 244 at 2 pm on October 21, up from 179 in the “moderate” category the previous day. The CAQM said the deterioration, combined with forecasts of persistently elevated pollution, necessitated immediate action.

Chandni Chowk was among the worst-affected areas, recording an AQI of 306 in the “very poor” category, with PM10 identified as the dominant pollutant. Several other stations, including Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh, Sirifort and Dwarka Sector 8, also recorded AQI levels in the poor range.

Under the CPCB scale, an AQI of 201–300 is “poor,” 301–400 is “very poor,” and 401–500 is “severe.” Authorities said pollution levels are expected to remain elevated over the coming days.

GRAP-I Restrictions

Stage I measures are now in force across Delhi and adjoining parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The restrictions prohibit the use of coal and firewood in tandoors at hotels, restaurants and open eateries, and impose curbs on diesel generator sets.

The CAQM’s GRAP sub-committee has directed agencies to implement the measures immediately, strengthen surveillance and ensure compliance with the citizen charter. Officials will continue to track air quality and weather conditions before considering stricter steps.

Metro Adds Trips

To reduce reliance on private vehicles, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will operate 20 additional train trips on weekdays from October 22. The DMRC will also intensify dust-control work at construction sites and nearby roads, including clearing accumulated dust, removing garbage from footpaths and cleaning road medians.

Winter Action Plan Ahead

The curbs precede the Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan, which will come into effect from November 1. It includes measures targeting vehicular emissions, construction dust and industrial pollution, along with stricter dust monitoring and increased mechanised road sweeping.

The plan also proposes a “No PUC, No Fuel” policy, under which vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control certificates will be denied fuel. From November 1, non-Delhi registered vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission norms will face entry restrictions, subject to exemptions.

PM Modi, Polish PM Donald Tusk To Hold Key Talks As India-Poland Partnership Seeks New Momentum

Oct 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in New Delhi on Thursday, as the two countries look to deepen cooperation in defence, trade, technology and clean energy. The meeting comes during Tusk’s three-day official visit to India from October 21 to 23, undertaken at PM Modi’s invitation.

Agenda For Talks

The leaders are expected to review the entire range of India-Poland relations, which were elevated to a Strategic Partnership during PM Modi’s visit to Warsaw in August 2024. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and India-European Union relations.

Discussions are likely to focus on expanding cooperation in defence manufacturing, trade and investment, emerging technologies, space research, port infrastructure and renewable energy. The meeting is expected to give fresh momentum to the India-Poland Strategic Partnership.

High-Level Engagement

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the visiting Polish leader and discussed bilateral cooperation ahead of the prime ministerial talks. Tusk arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening and was received by Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary.

The Polish delegation includes Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domanski and a high-level business delegation. The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit would further deepen the long-standing ties between the two countries.

Business Forum And Bengaluru Leg

An India-Poland Business Forum will be held in New Delhi on October 22, followed by another engagement in Bengaluru on October 23. Tusk is scheduled to interact with business stakeholders, particularly from the information technology and space sectors, during his Bengaluru visit.

This is Tusk’s second official visit to India as Polish Prime Minister; he earlier visited in 2010. He had also travelled to New Delhi in 2017 for the India-EU Summit in his capacity as President of the European Council.

IIFL Capital’s Maiden Late-Stage Private Equity Fund Announces First Close at ~ ₹500 Crore

• IIFL Capital’s Late-Stage Private Equity Fund targets a final close in excess of ₹1,000 crore within nine months from First Close
• Two transactions have already been committed with a pipeline of seven to eight deals under evaluation

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited, the Asset Management arm of IIFL Capital, today announced that the IIFL Late-Stage Private Equity Fund, the maiden fund of its private equity platform, achieved its first close on 15 September 2026 with aggregate capital commitments of ~ ₹500 crore. The Fund invests in scaled-up, profitable Indian enterprises that are preparing to list on the public markets in the near term.

The Fund is targeting a total corpus of ₹1,000 crore, with a greenshoe option of additional ₹1,000 crore. It will remain open for subscription after the first close and aims to reach its final close within the next nine months. A larger corpus allows the Fund to back high-quality companies operating on a scale, in line with its late-stage, pre-IPO strategy.

The Fund is also evaluating a robust pipeline of opportunities, ranging from term sheet negotiations to transactions under diligence. The pipeline is diversified across integrated security-as-a-service, railway and wind energy components, specialty chemicals, defence equipment, IT-enabled services, pre-engineered buildings and consumer technology.

The Fund follows a clear mandate focused on scaled businesses nearing a public listing. The fund looks at sectors that envisage growth rate of 15%-18% per annum. The investee company should be amongst the top three-five players in its category, should have an EBITDA of at least ₹75-100 crore at investment with the intention to pursue IPO within three years. The average deal size is expected to be ₹50-100 crore per transaction.

Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Deepak Mittal, Chief Investment Officer and Head – Private Equity, IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited, said: “The first close marks the point at which this Fund moves from being a proposition to being a portfolio. We are grateful to our investors for their confidence in a volatile global environment. With two high-quality transactions already committed and a live pipeline of seven to eight opportunities, we believe IIFL’s capabilities give us a distinct advantage in backing scaled enterprises on their journey to the public markets.”

The first close comes in the backdrop of India’s primary market revival. After a subdued April-June quarter, July and August 2026 together saw 35 mainboard IPOs, and foreign portfolio investors returned as net buyers, including through IPOs. Real GDP grew 7.8% in Q1 FY27, with gross fixed capital formation up 11.9%, supporting the sectors the Fund is targeting.

About IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited

IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited (formerly IIFL Securities Alternate Asset Management Limited) is the Investment Manager for Alternative Investment Funds sponsored by IIFL Capital Services Limited. It is registered with SEBI as an Alternative Investment Fund manager (IN/AIF3/19-20/0770, IN/AIF2/21-22/088), Investment Adviser (INA000019956) and Portfolio Manager (INP000009445). Registered office: Ground Floor 01, Hubtown Solaris, Saiwadi, N S Phadke Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400069. Website: assetmanagement.iiflcapital.com

About IIFL Capital Services Ltd

IIFL Capital Services Ltd (formerly known as IIFL Securities Limited) (NSE: IIFLCAPS) (BSE: 542773) is one of the key capital market players in the Indian financial services space. IIFL Capital offers broking services, wealth management, financial products distribution, institutional broking, research and investment banking services.

Disclaimer: This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any units of the IIFL Late-Stage Private Equity Fund or any securities. Investments in alternative investment funds are subject to market and other risks, including loss of capital. Investors should read the Private Placement Memorandum, including the risk factors, before investing. Registration granted by SEBI, enlistment with BSE, and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Past performance of securities/instruments is not indicative of their future performance.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/iifl-capitals-maiden-late-stage-private-equity-fund-announces-first-close-at–500-crore-302915550.html

Hoymiles Introduces MiS 6-in-1 Microinverter in India at REI Expo 2026 Along with Complete Solar and Storage Solutions

GREATER NOIDA, India, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hoymiles, a global leader in module-level power electronics and energy storage, has introduced its MiS 6-in-1 microinverter (MIS-3680-W) to the Indian market, alongside solutions spanning residential, commercial and industrial (C&I), and utility-scale applications at the REI expo. Hoymiles has demonstrated how its technologies support diverse energy needs, from rooftop solar generation to large-scale storage. Hoymiles Founder and CEO Dr. Yang Bo and Vice President Mr. Guy Rong attended the event, underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to India.

MiS 6-in-1 Microinverter: Smarter, More Flexible Solar for Indian Homes

Designed for Indian rooftops, the MIS-3680-W connects up to six PV modules to a single microinverter, offering flexible configurations and efficient power generation.

With two MPPTs, it supports unbalanced layouts of zero to three modules per input and up to 2,200 W conversion power per channel. Its industry-first dynamic power adjustment technology can shift power utilization between inputs in over-paneling scenarios, capturing more available solar energy when one string is shaded.

Built for demanding outdoor conditions, the microinverter features IP67 protection, dual-sided heat dissipation and a wide 160–295 V AC operating range to help maintain performance amid voltage fluctuations. Through the S-Miles Cloud platform, installers can remotely monitor systems and diagnose faults, reducing unnecessary site visits.

Installation is simplified by the Flex-S3 cable and dual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. For multi-unit systems, Wi-Fi Mesh technology enables one-touch network configuration and synchronized settings, delivering 70% faster commissioning. The product also comes with a 12-year standard warranty and support from an India-based technical team.

Complete Solutions for Every Scale of Energy

Along with the MiS 6-in-1 microinverter, Hoymiles also presented its five energy solutions: residential solar and storage systems, plug-in storage with AI-powered energy management, liquid-cooled C&I solutions, utility-scale solar and storage, and high-efficiency power conversion systems (PCS) designed for demanding grid conditions.

A Long-Term Partner in India’s Energy Transition

Through partnerships with regional distributors and an expanding sales and service network, Hoymiles continues to strengthen its presence across India. By combining reliable technology, flexible solar generation and integrated storage solutions, the company aims to help customers make better use of clean energy.

As India accelerates its renewable energy transition, Hoymiles remains committed to working with local partners and customers to make energy more accessible, reliable and efficient for all.

MIS-3680-W microinverter

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/hoymiles-introduces-mis-6-in-1-microinverter-in-india-at-rei-expo-2026-along-with-complete-solar-and-storage-solutions-302916343.html

Supermicro Introduces the NVIDIA Vera CPU Rack, a 256 CPU, 100% Liquid-Cooled Rack-Scale Solution, Complementing the NVIDIA Vera Rubin Platform, for Agentic AI at Scale

• Delivers dedicated 256 NVIDIA Vera CPU capacity for agent sandboxes, complementing NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 with common DCBBS infrastructure with third-generation NVIDIA MGX racks and battery backup units
• Integrates NVIDIA Vera CPUs and BlueField™-4 DPUs with the NVIDIA Open Agent Safety Platform and OpenShell Reference Architecture for secure, high-density agentic AI orchestration and continuous monitoring and policy enforcement
• Leverages Supermicro DCBBS to deliver a complete, integrated data center solution—from liquid-cooled rack architecture and power infrastructure to networking, cooling, and deployment services—enabling customers to build and scale full AI factories for agentic workloads

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Super Micro Computer, Inc (NASDAQ: SMCI), an AI, Enterprise, Storage, and 5G/Edge Total IT Solution Provider featuring Data Center Building Block Solutions® (DCBBS), today announced the NVIDIA Vera CPU rack as the latest addition to the DCBBS portfolio. The NVIDIA Vera CPU rack delivers dense CPU capacity for agentic AI, reinforcement learning (RL) workloads, and data processing, supporting 22.5K sandboxes at liquid-cooled AI factory scale. Complementary to the now shipping Supermicro NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72, the 100% liquid-cooled CPU rack can be used either standalone or alongside NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 in AI factories, providing clusters with high-density CPU compute, designed to address the rapidly escalating requirements of agentic AI.

“As agentic AI transforms data center requirements, Supermicro is extending its DCBBS portfolio with fully integrated infrastructure,” said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. “For customers seeking air-cooled deployments, Supermicro’s NVIDIA Vera CPU portfolio includes air-cooled 1U and 2U systems, in addition to rack-scale liquid cooling options. Together with NVIDIA, we help accelerate time to deployment with a common purpose-built architecture for secure, scalable agentic AI.”

To watch a video summary of this release, click here, and for the latest information on Supermicro solutions featuring NVIDIA Vera Rubin, click here.

“As enterprises scale agentic AI and reinforcement learning, supporting thousands of concurrent agent workflows requires a new class of high-density CPU infrastructure,” said Chris Marriott, vice president of enterprise platforms at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA Vera CPUs and BlueField-4 DPUs, integrated with Supermicro’s liquid-cooled DCBBS architecture, give customers the dedicated compute and hardware-based security to scale the execution of agentic workloads across their AI factories.”

Built to power the age of Agentic AI

Agentic AI and RL workloads represent an evolution from linear inference chains to branched, and often looped, execution with many more intermediate steps that depend on CPU availability and performance. GPUs remain the primary engine for generating tokens, code, and queries, while CPU-based sandbox environments execute actions, evaluate results, run tools, and orchestrate workflows. At the scale of modern AI factories, with hundreds or thousands of deployed GPUs, dedicated CPU compute is needed to host thousands or millions of parallel execution environments for agents.

The NVIDIA Vera CPU rack from Supermicro integrates 256 NVIDIA Vera CPUs, delivering 22,528 cores and 45,056 threads and supporting up to 22,500 concurrent agent sandboxes per rack. NVIDIA BlueField-4 DPUs provide high-performance networking and in-silicon security, and Supermicro’s DLC-2 direct liquid cooling stack enables a 100% liquid-cooled rack built for these workloads.

Common Infrastructure with Third-Generation MGX Racks and Battery Backup Units

The Vera CPU rack uses the third-generation NVIDIA MGX design, part of the DLC-2 stack, creating a common infrastructure architecture with Vera Rubin NVL72 that supports standardized deployment. NVIDIA MGX is a modular reference architecture for accelerated computing, helping system builders design future-compatible systems faster, reducing costs, accelerating time to market, and improving ROI. To power the compute racks, customers can choose either a traditional AC feed to compute rack or an 800 VDC sidecar power rack, which enables the use of battery backup units (BBU) in place of a conventional UPS for power loss protection. This approach helps free data center floor space, can improve end-to-end power conversion efficiency, and lowers CapEx and OpEx.

Prioritizing Secure Agentic AI with OpenShell Reference Architecture

The NVIDIA Vera CPU rack from Supermicro natively supports NVIDIA OpenShell Reference Architecture to continuously monitor and govern agent behavior, extending Supermicro’s support for secure AI agents. NVIDIA OpenShell runs on NVIDIA Vera CPUs to apply least-privilege, policy-based controls to agents at runtime, while NVIDIA Sentry runs on NVIDIA BlueField-4 DPUs as an out-of-band monitor that enforces policy, provides attested telemetry, and can quarantine an agent that moves outside its permitted boundaries in milliseconds. Together, these software solutions can help companies retain observability and auditability in production agentic systems without consuming host CPU resources.

An Optional Companion to Vera Rubin NVL72

The Vera CPU rack is designed to work alongside Vera Rubin NVL72 and is equally suited to standalone deployment. For customers building on the Supermicro DCBBS Blueprints for NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72, Supermicro offers an optional design that pairs Vera Rubin NVL72 racks with Vera CPU racks, with a defined network topology built on NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ Ethernet, hot-aisle containment layouts, and redundant in-row coolant distribution units (CDUs) and rear door heat exchangers from the DLC-2 stack. A single Supermicro team supports site survey, design, L11 and L12 integration and testing, on-site deployment, and ongoing support, whether the Vera CPU rack is deployed with Vera Rubin NVL72 or on its own.

Flexible Deployment Beyond NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72

The Vera CPU rack also operates as a standalone CPU platform. Standalone deployments can accelerate agent orchestration and sandboxing, database operations, cluster management, and schedulers such as Slurm and Kubernetes, data analytics, and large-scale software build pipelines.

Availability

The Supermicro NVIDIA Vera CPU rack is available to quote now. Learn more about Supermicro’s NVIDIA Vera CPU rack, and other solutions in the NVIDIA Vera Rubin platform here.

About Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI) is a global leader in Application-Optimized Total IT Solutions. Founded and operating in San Jose, California, Supermicro is committed to delivering first-to-market innovation for Enterprise, Cloud, AI, and 5G Telco/Edge IT Infrastructure. We are a Total IT Solutions provider with server, AI, storage, IoT, switch systems, software, and support services. Supermicro’s motherboard, power, and chassis design expertise further enables our development and production, enabling next-generation innovation from cloud to edge for our global customers. Our products are designed and manufactured in-house (in the US, Taiwan, and the Netherlands), leveraging global operations for scale and efficiency and optimized to improve TCO and reduce environmental impact (Green Computing). The award-winning portfolio of Server Building Block Solutions® allows customers to optimize for their exact workload and application by selecting from a broad family of systems built from our flexible and reusable building blocks that support a comprehensive set of form factors, processors, memory, GPUs, storage, networking, power, and cooling solutions (air-conditioned, free air cooling or liquid cooling).

Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.

All other brands, names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/supermicro-introduces-the-nvidia-vera-cpu-rack-a-256-cpu-100-liquid-cooled-rack-scale-solution-complementing-the-nvidia-vera-rubin-platform-for-agentic-ai-at-scale-302916342.html

CGTN launches News Pal, an AI-powered news companion

BEIJING, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CGTN has launched News Pal, an AI-powered news companion that aggregates and summarizes coverage about China and the world with speed and clarity.

The web-based service, which went live on October, turns real-time reporting from a range of media outlets into concise, insightful briefings, giving readers a clearer, more focused view of current events.

Its summarization feature draws on multiple reports – sometimes dozens – on the same topic, distilling the key points and cutting out repetition to create a clear and thorough digest. This helps users quickly get up to speed on a developing story while also seeing how it’s covered from different perspectives.

News Pal’s chat feature, meanwhile, lets people ask follow-up questions. The system searches available articles, identifies relevant reports and grounds its answers in that content rather than relying solely on a large language model’s internal knowledge. Users can also follow links to the original reports to verify the details.

CGTN has been expanding its use of AI to enhance its news services, from script translation and audio news generation to personalized recommendations and daily briefings. News Pal marks a new step in its use of AI to help audiences worldwide become better informed more easily.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cgtn-launches-news-pal-an-ai-powered-news-companion-302916534.html

Kuwait-Flagged Tanker Hit by Unknown Projectile in Strait of Hormuz; 21 Indian Seafarers Safe

New Delhi, Oct 22: A Kuwait-flagged oil product tanker carrying 21 Indian seafarers was struck by an unidentified projectile while sailing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, October 21. All crew members aboard the vessel have been reported safe, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed.

 Representational Image 

The vessel, M/T Al Dasma, came under attack while transiting the busy maritime corridor, raising fresh concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the Gulf region amid escalating regional tensions.

In a statement shared on social media platform X, Sonowal said all 21 Indian crew members, along with the remaining crew aboard the tanker, were safe. He added that the government was closely monitoring developments and maintaining contact with the ship’s management company to ensure the continued safety and well-being of the seafarers.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident was reported approximately 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman.

A report by Times Kuwait said the impact triggered a fire aboard the tanker, which was subsequently brought under control. The vessel reportedly remained stationary following the incident, while all crew members were accounted for and safe.

The circumstances surrounding the strike, including the origin of the projectile, were not immediately established.

Second Tanker Incident Involving Indian Seafarers

The latest incident follows another attack on a commercial tanker in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month. On October 16, the crude oil tanker MT ST 3, carrying 15 Indian seafarers, was reportedly struck by a projectile in the same waterway.

Indian authorities subsequently confirmed that all Indian nationals aboard that vessel were safe and that no casualties had been reported.

The two incidents have heightened concerns about the risks faced by Indian seafarers working aboard commercial vessels navigating one of the world’s most strategically significant shipping routes.

Concerns Over Maritime Security

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for international energy supplies, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. Disruptions to shipping in the region can have implications for global oil transportation, energy markets and international trade.

India has consistently called for the protection of merchant vessels and seafarers, stressing that attacks on commercial shipping undermine maritime security and freedom of navigation.

New Delhi has maintained that attacks on commercial vessels and merchant mariners are legally and morally indefensible, while emphasising the importance of ensuring the safe and uninterrupted movement of maritime commerce through international waterways.

With the latest incident involving M/T Al Dasma, authorities continue to monitor the evolving security situation and coordinate with the vessel’s management to safeguard the crew.

Although all seafarers aboard the tanker have been reported safe, the incident underscores the continuing security challenges confronting commercial shipping in the Gulf region.