India to boost Russian oil imports by 20% in September
India is set to increase its Russian oil imports by about 10-20% in September 2025, potentially reaching up to 1.8 million barrels per day—close to 40% of the country's total oil demand based on recent figures.
This jump comes after Russia offered steeper discounts following refinery outages caused by Ukrainian drone strikes.
Indian refiners like Reliance and Nayara are taking advantage of these deals, even as the US imposes a hefty 50% tariff on Indian goods and Europe tightens price caps on Russian crude.
Why does India keep buying Russian oil?
Despite Western sanctions and shrinking discounts (now just $2.50 per barrel off Brent, down from $20+), India keeps buying Russian oil—mainly because it needs affordable energy and options are limited.
The US has criticized India for "profiteering" from Moscow's aggression, but India points out that Western countries still buy Russian products too.
Analysts say if India stopped these imports, global oil prices could spike toward $100 per barrel—so this isn't just an India story; it affects wallets worldwide.