India's Russian oil imports surge 90% amid US-Iran war
What's the story
India has significantly increased its crude oil imports from Russia in March. The increase is a whopping 90% over February, despite the country's overall crude intake falling by nearly 15%. The decline was mainly due to supply disruptions in West Asia. The Strait of Hormuz disruption, a major global energy chokepoint, affected India's energy supplies.
Import impact
Impact on LPG and LNG imports
The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz also affected India's LPG (cooking gas) imports, which fell by 40%. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments were also impacted. In light of these challenges, India is looking for alternative energy sources to meet its needs.
Import boost
Surge in imports after US waiver
After a period of low purchases from Russia between December 2025 and February 2026, imports surged after a 30-day waiver by the United States. The waiver allowed the purchase of sanctioned oil already in transit. Along with Russia, India also ramped up crude sourcing from African nations such as Angola, Gabon, Ghana and Congo. However, their overall share in India's import basket remained limited.
Supply rerouting
Alternative routes and potential supplies
Kpler analyst Sumit Ritoia told TOI that some relief came from Middle Eastern producers rerouting supplies through pipelines bypassing Hormuz. These include Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and the UAE's Habshan-Fujairah line. These alternative routes helped maintain partial flows despite maritime bottlenecks. Ritoia also said Russian oil purchases are likely to continue into April, with potential additional supplies from Iran and Venezuela expected to ease supply risks.
Import decline
Shortfall in LNG and LPG imports
India's LNG imports from Qatar plummeted by 92% due to a force majeure declared by QatarEnergy and Hormuz-related disruptions. The shortfall was partially compensated by increased imports from the US, Oman, Angola, and Nigeria. Meanwhile, the steep fall in LPG imports was partly managed by boosting domestic production and curbing supplies to commercial and industrial users. This ensured adequate availability for India's vast base of over 33 crore household consumers.