India’s Russian Oil Imports Rise Despite U.S. Pressure

Web Desk | 4 days ago

NEW DELHI: India’s crude oil imports from Russia increased in October, despite growing pressure from the U.S. to cut purchases. Preliminary ship-tracking data showed Indian imports rising to 1.48 million barrels per day (bpd) in October, up from 1.44 million bpd in September. This data, compiled by Kpler, excludes oil exported from Kazakhstan through Russia. Another data firm, OilX, also pegged October imports at the same level.

Despite the increase in October, Russian oil shipments to India are expected to decline starting in November. This is due to U.S. sanctions imposed on two major Russian oil producers, Lukoil and Rosneft, last month. Following these sanctions, Indian refiners have paused new orders from Russian suppliers and are looking for alternatives in the global spot market.

Major Indian refineries like Reliance Industries, Mangalore Refineries, and HPCL-Mittal Energy have stopped purchasing Russian oil. Meanwhile, other refineries are considering oil from non-sanctioned Russian producers. According to Kpler analyst Sumit Ritolia, Russian oil imports will remain stable until November 21, but are expected to slow afterward.

The U.S. sanctions give companies a deadline of November 21 to stop transactions with Lukoil and Rosneft. Despite this, imports remained strong in the first three weeks of November. Reliance Industries has already bought millions of barrels of oil from the spot market to replace Russian supply.

India became the largest buyer of Russian crude oil after the 2022 Ukraine invasion. It imported approximately 1.9 million bpd in the first nine months of 2025, accounting for around 40% of Russia’s total crude exports, according to the International Energy Agency.

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