India defies US pressure, stands firm on Russian oil imports

New Delhi has made it clear that its energy policy will not be dictated by external pressure. Even as the United States ramps up rhetoric and slaps a 25% secondary tariff on Indian goods, India has stood firm on continuing oil imports from Russia — now its largest source of crude.

Oil exports remain Moscow’s biggest revenue stream, with India emerging as the second-largest buyer after China. The government’s stance underscores its commitment to strategic autonomy in energy security, despite mounting diplomatic and economic pressure from Washington.

Although July and August saw a dip in Russian crude arrivals at Indian ports, industry analysts say the decline was driven by shrinking discounts rather than American sanctions or tariffs. Most of those consignments, they note, were booked weeks before US President Donald Trump escalated his offensive against India in July and announced new tariffs in early August.

The real test, experts say, will come with shipments arriving from late September onward — when the full impact of Washington’s hard line could begin to show.

For now, India’s state-run refiners remain unfazed. Officials from leading oil companies confirm there has been no directive from the government to cut back on Russian crude purchases. “As long as it remains commercially viable, we will continue to buy,” one senior executive said, encapsulating New Delhi’s pragmatic approach in the face of geopolitical turbulence.