Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 27: Indian refiners bought more Russian crude as Gulf supplies faltered around the Strait of Hormuz. The shift shows how sourcing flexibility underpins India’s energy security. Sanctions risks, however, cloud the strategy.
India reshaped its crude basket at speed when the West Asian war disrupted Gulf flows. Energy traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted by the conflict. Gulf oil supplies to India reportedly fell sharply afterwards. Indian refiners responded by stepping up purchases of Russian crude oil.
In March 2026, Russian crude imports reached about 2.25 million barrels per day. That was nearly double the previous month’s level. Russian barrels accounted for roughly half of India’s oil imports that month.
Russian Barrels Fill the Gap
The surge shows how quickly refinery procurement can pivot under pressure. Not every extra barrel can be traced directly to Hormuz. Yet the timing points to a clear sourcing response.
The commercial chain was straightforward. Shipping disruption reduced Gulf flows and squeezed refiners’ supply options. Available Russian cargoes then offered an alternative source of crude.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has framed the episode in diplomatic terms. Rudenko said Russian supplies demonstrated Moscow’s reliability during the disruption. He told Russian outlet NEWS.ru existing India-Russia arrangements helped “significantly mitigate” the fallout. Such assessments reflect Moscow’s view of the relationship.
Russian Volumes Stay Elevated
Russian oil shipments to India have since eased below March levels. They stood at about 2.1 million bpd in August. Preliminary data from commodity analytics firm Kpler put September shipments near 1.9 million bpd. As an early estimate, the September figure remains provisional.
One month’s dip does not establish a lasting trend. Russian crude remains a significant part of India’s diversified supply mix.
Diversification Meets Sanctions Risk
The Indian government has maintained that energy security requires multiple suppliers. It argues that affordable, dependable energy for 1.4 billion people depends on this. New Delhi has also warned against restrictions that could distort global energy markets.
The commercial logic is simple. Heavy reliance on one region exposes refiners to regional shocks. Alternative suppliers widen procurement options when one route falters.
But diversification does not remove risk; it redistributes it. Russian crude carries its own geopolitical exposure.
India has raised concerns with Washington over the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act. The legislation threatens a 100 per cent tariff on purchases of Russian oil. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for curbing Russia’s oil trade through US sanctions.
Such pressure can complicate payments, shipping, compliance and refinery sourcing decisions. None of this amounts to an automatic supply cutoff. It does add uncertainty to every Russian cargo India books.
Energy Ties Beyond Oil
The relationship also stretches into nuclear power. Rudenko pointed to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, built with Russian collaboration. He said another site would soon be allocated for a Russian-designed plant.
Flexibility Becomes Strategy
The Hormuz episode offers a clear lesson for India’s energy security. Resilience depends less on any single supplier than on the ability to switch. Russian crude enabled Indian refiners to offset part of the Gulf shortfall. Sanctions risk means that option cannot be taken for granted. For India, flexibility itself is becoming the strategy.
