India, Feb. 20 -- There is a narrow strip of water, just 21 miles (33 Km) wide at its tightest point, sitting between Iran and Oman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and it is called the Strait of Hormuz. Right now, in February 2026, it is at the centre of one of the most dangerous geopolitical stand-offs in recent memory, one with serious consequences for India's chemical industry, its fertiliser farmers, its paint manufacturers, and millions of ordinary citizens who may not even know this waterway exists.

Think of the Strait of Hormuz as the world's most important energy pipe. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass through it every single day, about 20% of everything the en...