Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday, 28 May 2026, attended the sixth meeting of the Informal Empowered Group of Ministers (IGoM) constituted to monitor the evolving security situation in West Asia, with the meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Context

The IGoM is an inter-ministerial coordination body set up by the Indian government to track developments in West Asia — a region whose stability has direct consequences for India's energy security and the welfare of millions of Indian expatriates working across Gulf countries. The group brings together ministers from multiple portfolios to ensure a whole-of-government assessment of risks and contingencies.

The fact that Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh chairs the group signals that the government's monitoring framework extends beyond conventional diplomatic channels to encompass defence preparedness and potential evacuation planning.

Policy Backdrop

India has a long-standing practice of constituting such empowered inter-ministerial groups when regional crises abroad could affect its strategic and economic interests. West Asia is of particular importance: the region supplies a substantial share of India's crude oil and natural gas imports, and an estimated 9 million Indian nationals live and work across Gulf states, representing the country's single largest diaspora concentration.

India's approach to the region has historically been guided by the doctrine of strategic autonomy — maintaining ties with multiple stakeholders without direct military entanglement. The IGoM mechanism reflects that posture, prioritising informed monitoring and contingency readiness over reactive policy shifts.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most directly affected constituency is the Indian diaspora in the Gulf, whose remittances form a critical pillar of household incomes across states such as Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Any deterioration in regional security raises the spectre of large-scale evacuation operations, for which inter-ministerial coordination of the kind the IGoM provides is essential groundwork.

Energy importers and refiners in India are equally attentive to the situation: sustained conflict in West Asia can disrupt shipping lanes, spike crude prices, and feed through to domestic fuel costs and inflation. The IGoM's multi-ministry composition ensures that the Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of External Affairs, and security establishments are all operating from a shared situational picture.

What's Next

Observers will watch for an official readout from the Ministry of External Affairs or the Prime Minister's Office following the sixth IGoM session, which could indicate whether the government's threat assessment has shifted or whether any fresh contingency measures are being activated. Parliamentary questions on the welfare of Indian nationals in conflict-affected zones are also likely as the monsoon session approaches.

The regularity of IGoM meetings — now at its sixth session — underscores that New Delhi views the West Asia conflict as a sustained, evolving challenge rather than a short-term crisis, and that whole-of-government vigilance will remain in place for the foreseeable future.