India Signals No Change to Russian Oil Purchases Despite Fresh US Sanctions Threat
Government sources indicated India is unlikely to curb its purchases of Russian crude oil despite a fresh round of US sanctions threats aimed at countries buying Russian energy
The stance reflects continued prioritisation of energy security, defence ties, and strategic cooperation with Russia over compliance with the proposed US measures
Russian crude has become a major component of India's import basket since 2022, offering discounted pricing relative to other global benchmarks, though the discount has narrowed considerably in recent years
The development comes amid a US legislative push (a Senate-passed sanctions bill) that could empower tariffs of up to 100% on countries continuing to import Russian oil and gas
India's Energy Security Doctrine and Import Dependence
Energy security refers to the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price, a core pillar of India's economic and strategic policy given that India imports a large majority of its crude oil requirement. India's crude oil import dependency stands at over 85%, making diversification of supply sources and price stability central policy objectives rather than optional considerations.
Key Details
- India's crude oil import dependency: roughly 85-88% of domestic consumption
- Russia emerged as India's largest single source of crude oil imports from 2023 onward, a dramatic shift from near-negligible volumes before 2022, though its share has fluctuated in the 25-40% range through 2025-26 depending on sanctions pressure and pricing
- India maintains Strategic Petroleum Reserves (managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd, ISPRL) at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, and Padur as a buffer against supply disruptions, supplementing commercial refinery inventories
The government's reluctance to curb Russian oil purchases is grounded in this energy-security logic — discounted Russian crude, even with a narrower price advantage, helps contain India's import bill and retail fuel inflation for a economy still heavily import-dependent on crude.
India-Russia "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership"
India and Russia elevated their bilateral relationship to a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" during a summit in December 2010, the highest tier of partnership India accords to any country, encompassing defence, energy, nuclear cooperation, and space alongside political and economic ties. The relationship is institutionalised through an Annual Summit mechanism between the Indian Prime Minister and the Russian President, alongside the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission.
Cited "defence ties and strategic cooperation" reflect this decades-old institutionalised partnership, which India has sought to preserve even while balancing its relationships with the US and Europe.
India's Strategic Autonomy and Multi-Alignment Foreign Policy
Strategic autonomy is the post-Cold War evolution of India's Nehruvian Non-Alignment doctrine, referring to India's preservation of independent decision-making in foreign and security policy without being bound to any single power bloc. In the multipolar post-2014 environment, this has further evolved into "multi-alignment" — simultaneously engaging major powers (US, Russia, EU, Gulf states) on issue-specific terms rather than committing to formal alliances.
India's refusal to curtail Russian oil purchases despite US pressure is a live demonstration of multi-alignment in practice — maintaining the US partnership (trade, defence, Quad) while not sacrificing the Russia relationship (energy, defence) under external pressure.
- India's crude oil import dependency: approximately 85-88%
- Russia's share of India's crude oil imports: fluctuated between roughly 25% and 40% through 2025-26, down from a peak near 36-40% in 2024-25
- India-Russia ties elevated to "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership": December 2010
- India's S-400 air defence deal with Russia: approximately $5.43 billion, finalised 2018
- US Senate-passed sanctions bill threatens tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing Russian oil/gas (pending further US legislative and executive action)
- India's Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity: 5.33 million metric tonnes across Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, and Padur