With a view to speeding delivery of energy supplies from the Gulf, India recently granted waivers to allow two Iranian cargoes aboard an older tanker and another under international sanctions to enter its ports, two officials familiar with the matter said.

The world's No.2 importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), India is facing its worst gas crisis in decades, with the government rationing supplies to industry to ensure households are supplied with the cooking gas.

India recently permitted the LPG tanker Aurora to dock in the southern port of Mangalore despite it being about 30 years old, one of the sources said.

A crude oil tanker, the Jaya, despite being under U.S. sanctions, was also permitted to unload, the other source said.

The officials said the approvals were being made on a case-by-case basis and only vessels meeting safety parameters were being considered for waivers.

India typically requires tankers that are more than 20 years old to have seaworthiness certification from a member of the International Association of Classification Societies, or an entity authorised by India's maritime administration.

It also typically bars vessels subject to U.S. sanctions from its ports.

Iran has sidestepped Western sanctions to deliver its oil in recent years by deploying a "shadow fleet" of older tankers lacking such paperwork.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment sent by email.

-Reporting by Saurabh Sharma and Nidhi Verma; editing by Tony Munroe and Jason Neely/Reuters