New Delhi: India's Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said he has not felt pressure from the United States to reduce India's purchases of Russian crude oil, stressing that the country's energy decisions are guided by prices, availability and national interests.
Speaking at an industry event in Goa on Tuesday, Puri said the choice of crude oil suppliers depended largely on the relative cost of different grades of oil. His remarks come as India adjusts its oil purchasing patterns, with imports from Russia declining and supplies from the Middle East recovering.
India has become one of the major buyers of Russian crude oil since Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian oil became an attractive option for Indian refiners because it was often available at discounted prices compared with supplies from other producers.
However, changing market conditions have begun to influence purchasing decisions. The price advantage of Russian crude has narrowed at times, while higher shipping costs, stronger competition from China, reduced Russian supply availability and the recovery of Middle Eastern supplies have affected the choices available to Indian refiners.
According to ship tracking data reported in October, India's Russian crude imports fell to approximately 1.8 million barrels per day in September, down around 14 per cent from August. Despite the decline, Russia remained India's largest crude oil supplier.
At the same time, imports from the Middle East recovered to approximately 2.8 million barrels per day in September, returning to levels seen before the disruption to regional oil supplies caused by the Iran war. The recovery has provided Indian refiners with more alternatives as they assess the cost and availability of crude from different regions.
The latest figures do not mean India has decided to end its oil trade with Russia. Instead, they point to changes in purchasing patterns as refiners respond to prices, transportation costs, the availability of Russian supplies and competition from other buyers.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, one of India's major state owned refiners, has indicated that it expects to reduce its Russian crude purchases in November. The company's finance chief, Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, said Middle Eastern crude had become more commercially attractive, taking into account factors including freight costs.
The forecast provides further evidence of changing purchasing patterns among Indian refiners. However, it applies to the company's own procurement plans and does not establish the precise direction of imports across the entire Indian oil industry.
The developments come amid continuing differences between India and the United States over energy trade with Russia. Washington has sought to limit Moscow's energy revenues as part of its wider efforts to restrict the resources available to support the war in Ukraine.
On September 18, US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The legislation established a framework for sanctions and duties affecting Russian energy transactions and certain countries involved in purchasing Russian oil and gas.
On October 16, Trump issued an executive order waiving specified measures under the legislation, easing the immediate risk of additional US penalties under those provisions. The waiver did not permanently repeal the law. The order also retained provisions for monitoring countries purchasing Russian energy and considering further action.
These policy developments show that Russian oil purchases remain part of the wider debate over sanctions and international energy trade. However, they do not establish that US pressure caused the recent reduction in India's Russian crude imports.
India has repeatedly said that its energy sourcing decisions are guided by national interests and the need to secure reliable supplies. Access to affordable energy is important for the country's economy, particularly because India depends heavily on imported crude oil to meet domestic demand.
Indian officials have also emphasised the importance of diversifying energy supplies to reduce dependence on individual producers and limit the impact of disruptions in international markets.
India's relationship with Russia remains important in the energy sector, even as New Delhi maintains economic and strategic ties with the United States and countries in the Middle East. Its approach reflects the challenge of balancing energy security, commercial interests and international diplomatic relationships.
For Indian refiners, the immediate question is whether Russian crude will remain competitive against other available supplies in the coming months. Prices, freight rates, supply conditions and any changes in international sanctions policy could all influence future purchasing decisions.
Puri's remarks underline India's stated position that oil procurement is guided by commercial and national interests. The latest import figures show that the country's sourcing patterns are changing, but they do not indicate that India is ending its purchases of Russian crude or that the United States has abandoned its broader policy measures concerning Russian energy.