India has reduced its crude oil purchases from Russia during the past few months. The country has decreased its import volume since December because it needs to change its sourcing methods.
Lower Import Volumes in January
- India brought in 1.1 million barrels of crude oil from Russia each day during the first three weeks of this month. The daily average in December 2025 was 1.21 million barrels. Kpler analytics reports that India imported approximately 2 million barrels from Russia each day during the middle of last year.
- About 90 percent of India's crude oil requirements are fulfilled through imports. Refineries use this crude oil to produce fuels such as petrol and diesel.
Shift Due to Sanctions and Supply Strategy
India has been gradually reducing crude oil purchases from Russia since December. The latest sanctions which Western nations imposed on Russian oil suppliers prompted this decision. India is increasing its oil purchases from its established West Asian suppliers.
Iraq and Saudi Arabia Gain Share
Kpler data shows that Iraq is now supplying crude oil to India at levels similar to Russia. Iraq supplied an average of 904,000 barrels per day to the world in December 2025. Saudi Arabia’s supplies have also increased. Saudi Arabia exports to the United States reached 924,000 barrels per day this month. The December figure reached 710,000 barrels per day after falling to a low of 539,000 barrels per day in April 2025.
Background of Russia’s Rise as a Supplier
- After Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia because of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia began selling discounted crude oil to India. Iraq had been India's main supplier of crude oil before this time. Russia later overtook Iraq and became the top supplier.
- Before 2022, Russia accounted for less than 1 percent of India’s oil imports. At its peak, this share rose to nearly 40 percent. However, imports slowed again after the United States introduced additional sanctions on Russian suppliers in December.
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