Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a nearly two-hour "Team India" video conference with Chief Ministers, warning that the Iran-Israel war could be a prolonged crisis and announcing the formation of seven empowered inter-ministerial groups to protect India's energy security, supply chains, financial stability, and diaspora safety.

The groups cover the full spectrum of war-related vulnerabilities. The first focuses on energy security and oil reserve management, monitoring international prices and developing alternative import routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz — including via Oman and the Chabahar port. India's current strategic oil reserve stands at 60 days, which the PM described as a sufficient buffer.

The second group will enforce price stability for pulses, sugar, edible oils, and grains under the Essential Commodities Act, with a zero-tolerance mandate against hoarding and black marketing. The third group will secure the fertiliser and agricultural supply chain to protect the ongoing Rabi season from war-related disruptions.

The fourth — and perhaps most consequential — is Operation Suraksha, jointly headed by Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. This group will build a state-wise database of Indians living in Gulf countries, coordinate with embassies operating round the clock, and execute a large-scale evacuation if the situation demands. The Navy and Air Force have been placed on standby for this purpose.

The fifth group will monitor social media for misinformation — particularly rumours about fuel shortages and economic slowdowns — and maintain communal harmony in coordination with state police. The sixth group will manage safe sea corridors and alternative shipping routes for Indian vessels. The seventh, comprising Finance Ministry and RBI officials, will stabilise stock markets, manage the rupee's decline, and protect India's GDP growth trajectory and foreign investment flows.

The Prime Minister drew an explicit parallel with the COVID-19 pandemic, telling Chief Ministers that the same "Team India" spirit that saw India through the health crisis was needed now to navigate this economic and security emergency. He assured them the situation was fully under control and directed them to actively prevent panic from spreading in their states — particularly urging restraint on panic buying of fuel and essential commodities.

Rajnath Singh presented the inter-ministerial group's report on migrant safety, with the PM directly engaging Chief Ministers of states with large Gulf diaspora populations.