India news: Crude tanker Jag Laadki reaches Gujarat

We're closing the blog today. Thank you for reading, we'll be back tomorrow again!

India's Cabinet gave the green light to spending 336.60 billion rupees ($3.63 billion, €3.15 billion) to develop industrial parks, according to Information Minister Ashwini ⁠Vaishnaw.

The funds are intended to increase India's domestic manufacturing capabilities.

One hundred industrial parks will ​be developed through joint ventures with ​state ‌governments and a state-run company, he added.

Indian Industry Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia ‌said the government expects to develop ‌about ​33,000 acres of land for manufacturing over six years.

Indian vessel Jag Laadki arrived in the western shore of India, carrying crude oil sourced from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

The tanker docked at the Adani Port in the state of Gujarat, India's national radio reported. A video posted by the All India Radio News showed the tanker in Indian waters. 

The Jag Laadki is the third tanker to reach India from the conflict-affected Gulf region this week. On Monday, LPG-laden vessel Shivalik arrived in Gujarat followed by another LPG-carrying ship Nanda Devi on Tuesday. 

Jag Laadki, which departed from UAE's Fujairah port, faced a close call last week when the port was attacked. Indian officials later confirmed that everyone on board was unharmed.

India's foreign ministry had previously said that "many more" Indian vessels were in the Gulf region and that New Delhi was in talks with Tehran for their safe passage.

Minister of External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar told Financial Times in an interview that there was no "blanket agreement" with Iran for Indian ships and every passage was being looked at individually.

A massive fire in a residential building in the Indian capital has killed at least nine people, including three children, officials said. 

The fire broke out in the Palam area, which is close to the city's international airport. 

Local media showed videos of smoke billowing out of the blackened building after fire services had managed to subdue the flames.

Rescue work was underway as several people were still feared to be trapped inside.

Member of Parliament Kamaljeet Sehrawat told news wire Press Trust of India that the dead belonged to the same family.

She said the fire started in a shop on the ground floor, but the smoke spread to the floors above, suffocating the family.

"When members of the same family die like this without any fault, it causes deep grief across the entire country and Delhi," Sehrawat said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences and announced a compensation of Rs 200,000 (€1,871; $2,159) to the next of kin of each deceased, from the PM's relief fund. 

In a country as big as India, bizarre incidents come to light on the regular. This one caught our attention: 

A family of five reached a courier service store on Tuesday and asked for a large gunny bag to be parcelled to a nearby district. What was in the burlap sack? A live, elderly man, Indian media reported. 

The man looked a bit out of breath, and is said to have belonged to the same family that tried to post the gunny bag.

The confused courier agents told the family a human could not be sent in the mail. They responded by questioning why the service was running a business if they could not courier a man.

The Times of India reported that the family's odd request was meant to be a protest against a steep rise in bus ticket prices. They intended to record the prank for a reel and post it on social media. 

The family eventually left disheartened, adding that they would find a different agency that would agree to courier the man in the bag.

Indian police arrested 14 Muslim men for eating a non-vegetarian meal on a boat in the Ganges River and dumping the remains in the water. 

Hindus in India worship the river Ganges and often refer to it as a "mother" and a "goddess."

The Deputy Commissioner of Police of Varanasi, formerly Banaras, posted a news clipping of the article on social media and acknowledged the arrest.

"Chicken biryani eaten on a motorboat and bones thrown into Ganga, 14 arrested," the post said, referring to the popular chicken and rice dish. 

Indian media reported that the men were having an Iftar party on the boat. Reports said that action was taken after a local wing of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a written complaint.

The arrests were made for allegedly defiling a place of worship with the intent to insult a religion. 

A video of Muslim men eating biryani on a boat, while looking into a cellphone camera, made the rounds on social media. DW could not verify the video's authenticity.

The video has attracted strong but mixed reactions from social media users. Some criticized the men for hurting religious sentiment, while others criticized the government for taking action against edible remains while allowing tonnes of waste to be dumped into the river.

India should let gas prices rise naturally and help those most seriously affected, instead of keeping them artificially low, Rahul Ahluwalia, Director of the Foundation for Economic Development in Delhi, told DW. 

"I think one of the issues that we are facing — unfortunately, that we often face — is that we attempt to insulate people from price shocks instead of trying to help them deal with it," Ahluwalia said. 

India's public refiners have upped the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders by a moderate Rs 60 (50 cents) and maintained petrol and diesel prices despite a steep rise in the cost of crude. 

"The problem with limiting the price shock is that nobody adjusts behavior according to how the price has risen or should have risen had the price shock been allowed to propagate. So as a result, people are not really reducing their own personal consumption of gas and some people are having to face shortages," he said. 

"The appropriate response would be, let the prices rise, help people out via direct cash transfers or something of the sort. And India now has one of the most advanced infrastructures for direct crash transfers in the world," the economist added.

Ahluwalia said he did not anticipate any long-term difficulties for Narendra Modi's BJP government despite the current pressure. 

"Because the political pressure is rising, [that] is why we have seen attempts to control the price," he said. "I don't think that the government should suffer very much. There are no near-term elections in the future. Usually, you see that the voting public's memory is very short," he said.

While India won't hold a general election until 2028, four key states and a union territory will hold assembly elections in April.

India's domestic production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has increased by 25% since the Iran conflict began, the finance minister told the Indian Parliament, responding to queries on how the government was dealing with the ongoing shortage. 

Nirmala Sitharaman's figure differs from that provided by the petroleum ministry, which on Monday reported a 36% increase in domestic LPG production. 

Nearly 65% of India's LPG requirement is imported, Sitharaman said, making India the world's second-largest importer of the fuel, which is widely used for cooking. The vast majority — some 90% — of that imported LPG comes through the Strait of Hormuz, she said. 

"There are enough reports on how we are ensuring a steady flow during these turbulent times," she said, claiming a "steady stream of shipping lines coming in." 

The finance minister said all of the increased production was going to domestic consumers. 

Even as the government is taking measures to ensure a stable supply, households and food businesses are facing a shortage of gas cylinders. 

The petroleum ministry has urged consumers to switch from LPG cylinders to Piped Natural Gas (PNG). However, that too is facing delays.

"I applied for a PNG connection days ago and now the local office isn't picking up calls," a domestic worker told DW as she inquired for extra LPG cylinders.

"The online portal says I can't get another cylinder because I used two last month, so it looks like I will have to buy one from the black market, which is three times the price," she said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has discussed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East with UAE President HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

During a phone call to convey Eid greetings, Modi "reiterated India’s strong condemnation of all attacks on the UAE that have resulted in loss of innocent lives and damage to civilian infrastructure," the prime minister said in a social media post on Tuesday evening. 

Both leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global fuel supply.

Modi "emphasized that both nations will continue to work together for the early restoration of peace, security, and stability in the region," his office said in a statement after the call.

Millions of Indians work and live in the Gulf region. Last week, two Indian workers were killed in a drone strike that hit an industrial complex in Oman.

India's foreign ministry has remained neutral in the US-Israel war in Iran, in line with its foreign policy under the Modi government that favors strong diplomatic ties with all parties involved.

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi is reportedly seeking to reopen his extradition case at the London High Court.

According to Indian media outlets, including The Times of India (TOI) and the Press Trust of India (PTI), which reported on the hearing on Wednesday, Modi claimed that he faces a "real risk of torture" if he is extradited from the United Kingdom.

In April 2021, the UK ordered Modi's extradition to India where he would face charges of fraud and money laundering in an approximate $2 billion scam involving a government-owned Indian bank. Modi has since filed several unsuccessful bail and appeal applications. 

At the most recent hearing, Modi's barrister relied on a precedent from the extradition case of a defense sector consultant who was facing tax evasion and money laundering charges. The man's extradition had been rejected on human rights grounds after he argued the risk of torture by Indian investigating agencies. 

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service, representing the Indian government, argued that it had already given reassurances that could not be reneged, if simply for the "high-profile nature" of the diamantaire's case. 

TOI reported that Modi attended a hearing virtually while three officers from India's Central Bureau of Investigation attended in person.

Modi was a high-profile Indian diamond dealer who quickly rose to prominence through social circles in India and abroad, often dressing celebrities.

His fame turned into disrepute in 2018 when a governmentbank official's retirement unraveled a long-spun web to reveal the merchant had taken billions in loan without any credit guarantee. Before he could be arrested, Modi fled to the UK.

"This case is of extreme importance, to Mr. Modi and to the Indian officials who have traveled from India. We will deliver the judgment as soon as possible," PTI reported the judge saying who wrapped up the hearing early.

Good morning, and welcome to DW's India blog!

This is Mahima Kapoor from the New Delhi studio, and I will be bringing you a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Wednesday:

• Indian households and businesses continue to scramble to attain liquified petroleum gas (LPG), which is widely used for cooking
• Many are resorting to paying exorbitant prices on the black market amid a severe shortage due to the war in the Middle East
• The government has conducted thousands of raids to clamp down on the illegal LPG market and asked citizens not to panic
• India's government remains in touch with Iran to secure the passage of crude and LPG tankers from the Strait of Hormuz
• At least two vessels have already returned from the Gulf this week
• In other news, Indian fugitive jeweler Nirav Modi wants to block his extradition from UK
• He is arguing that he could be at risk of torture if sent back to India
• India's northeast, west and central regions are set for more thunderstorms and rain from a western disturbance, according to the weather agency

Stick with us as we break down the day's news for you.