In view of the rising global uncertainties, the Indian government will continue to pursue the policy of maximizing oil purchases from Russia.
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government used to import barely 0.50 percent of its oil from Russia before February 2022. However, the quantity rose significantly in 2025 to 30–35 percent. According to the officials from the Ministry of Petroleum, Russia has now established itself as one of India’s key oil suppliers. According to the reports, the current situation is likely to persist in the coming days as well. Over the past three years—whether during the Syria conflict, the Gaza conflict, or the ongoing Iran-Israel tensions—India has not faced any difficulty in sourcing oil from Russia.
In view of the rising global uncertainties, the Indian government will continue to pursue the policy of maximizing oil purchases from Russia. Both public and private oil companies in India are actively engaging with Russian suppliers to increase oil procurement.
Government Oil Companies Preparing Reports
According to the reports, a team comprising officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Petroleum is assessing the current status of petroleum products in the country, the state of oil imports, and the availability of domestic reserves. It is important to note that the crude oil situation in the global market is being reviewed at a high level within the government.
The government oil companies are also reportedly preparing daily reports. There are indications that, given the ongoing volatility in international crude oil prices, India is in talks to purchase more oil from Latin American and African countries.
Buying More Oil from Other Countries
The Hardeep Singh Puri-led Petroleum Ministry has stated that India aims to not only purchase crude oil on a large scale from countries like Russia and the United States but also increase imports from nations such as Nigeria, Mexico, Angola, and Guyana. Given the situation in the Middle East, supplies from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE may be affected to some extent. India, currently, sources roughly 35% of its crude oil from Russia, 19% from Iraq, 14% from Saudi Arabia, 10% from the UAE, and 5% from the United States.
India’s concerns increase
In the year 2025, India became the third-largest oil-importing country in the world as it purchased 5.1 million barrels of oil daily. India imports nearly 86 percent of its crude oil requirements from abroad. Because of this, any global issue related to crude oil prices or supply leads to increased concern for India.
