India's imports of Russian oil continue to decline as the country expands its list of suppliers and seeks new energy sources. Despite pressure from the United States and a decline in supplies from Russia, Indian companies continue to steadily purchase oil.
This was stated by Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Puri in an interview with Bloomberg.
Puri said the country's purchases of Russian crude oil have already declined to 1.3 million barrels per day from an average of 1.8 million barrels last year.
“There is a downward trend. This is due to market conditions,” Puri noted.
The US recently imposed additional tariffs on Russian oil imports to India, increasing pressure on the world's third-largest buyer of the fuel. Meanwhile, flows have remained stable, thanks in part to lucrative discounts on Russian oil.
The minister stressed that the Indian government has not given direct instructions on the purchase of Russian oil – companies make their own decisions. India currently purchases oil from 41 countries and is actively diversifying suppliers, in particular by increasing supplies from Canada and the United States.
What is known about Russian oil in India?
On July 30, 2025, US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from India. The reason is that India is one of the largest importers of Russian oil. On August 4, Trump announced that he would raise tariffs on India again, and on August 27, he imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods to punish the country for buying Russian oil.
On September 19, Bloomberg, citing its own sources, wrote that India does not plan to abandon the purchase of Russian oil, even despite US pressure and the resumption of trade negotiations with Washington.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 23, Trump declared China and India to be “major sponsors” of Russia's war against Ukraine, as these countries continue to buy Russian oil and gas.
Bloomberg later wrote that India is asking the US to allow it to replace Russian oil with Iranian and Venezuelan oil.