Since the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022, India has emerged as the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude. However, these acquisitions have sparked criticism from Western countries, which have imposed sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, arguing that oil revenue supports Moscow’s military efforts.
The US, already aiming to reduce its trade deficit with India, raised import tariffs on Indian goods to 50% last year in response to India’s significant purchases of Russian oil. The two nations are currently engaged in negotiations for a possible trade deal, although the discussions have encountered some difficulties.
India requests ‘timely, accurate data’ to present to Washington
The oil ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) is requesting refiners to submit weekly data on their imports from Russia and the US. This request, which sources say was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, aims to improve transparency and accuracy, as reported by five industry and government insiders.
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“We need timely and accurate data on Russian and US oil imports so we can provide verified figures when the US requests this information, rather than having them depend on secondary sources,” stated one of the sources, a government official.
These sources, who wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, did not anticipate that the data would be released to the public.
The origins of Indian firms’ oil purchases are typically detailed in monthly customs records and by private sector analytics firms. This is the first instance where the government has requested such information from refiners on a weekly basis.
Major Indian refiners, including Reliance Industries and Indian Oil Corp, did not provide immediate comments when approached.
Russian oil complicates trade negotiations
While several major world economies have successfully struck trade agreements with Washington that mitigated US President Donald Trump’s previously high tariff rates, discussions between New Delhi and Washington have yet to yield a successful outcome.
Negotiations faltered in late July when India hesitated to open its market to US agricultural products and did not acknowledge Trump’s involvement in mediating during a short conflict between India and Pakistan. Subsequently, Trump raised tariff rates on Indian goods in August.
Despite this, Trump and Modi have maintained communication, and talks have resumed, though India’s purchases of Russian oil continue to be a contentious issue.
In October, Trump suggested that Modi had committed to halting Russian oil purchases, but New Delhi has publicly resisted US pressure, emphasizing that these imports are crucial for its energy security.
Two government officials noted that refiners haven’t been explicitly directed to reduce Russian oil purchases. However, they, along with industry sources, anticipate that incoming volumes will average below 1 million bpd in the months ahead.
Stricter sanctions from the US and European Union have already diminished Russian oil flows to India, dropping to approximately 1.2 million bpd in December, a three-year low, according to sources and analytics firm Kpler. This represents a roughly 40% decline from a peak of about 2 million bpd in June.
Trump has prioritized energy purchases in many of his trade agreements. Additionally, India is looking to increase its imports of US crude, as the country’s refiners have already boosted imports of US gas, industry sources indicated.
As per Kpler data, the US accounted for 6.6% of Indian crude imports in 2025, while Russia supplied 35%.
