After Hormuz shutdown India taps Russia, oil share tops 50%
India's oil game changed fast this year when military strikes on Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz in February 2026, cutting off almost 50% of India's usual crude supply.
To keep things running, India started buying a lot more oil from Russia (over 40% by May, and more than 50% by June) according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
India expands oil suppliers beyond 41
India didn't just rely on Russia. The country expanded its list of oil suppliers from 27 in 2016 to over 41 by 2026, adding countries like Chad, Algeria, and Egypt, and substantially increasing imports from Venezuela and Brazil.
Diplomatic efforts also helped secure extra supplies from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Plus, India managed to get 12 LPG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz without extra charges and used ship-to-ship transfers in the Red Sea to work around sanctions, showing some quick thinking to keep national energy secure.