India's Russian oil imports bounce back after 3-month decline
India's oil imports from Russia shot up in early October 2025, bouncing back after three months of decline.
Imports climbed to around 1.8 million barrels a day—an increase of 250,000 barrels from September—thanks to festive demand and fresh discounts as Western markets slowed down.
Russian oil makes up 34% of India's crude imports
Russian oil now makes up 34% of India's crude imports, keeping Russia in the top spot since sanctions hit Moscow in 2022.
US oil imports to India are also growing, but Indian refiners aren't rushing to change suppliers.
Despite US President Trump's recent claim that PM Modi plans to halt Russian oil, India's Ministry of External Affairs says that's not the case—the Ministry has denied any such agreement, and analysts attribute the import trends to economic and seasonal factors rather than diplomatic negotiations.