New Delhi: The United States has recently reimposed sanctions on Russian oil. Consequently, the 30-day waiver previously granted for purchasing oil from Russia has expired. However, India will protract to purchase transplanted oil and LPG from Russia despite this development. Sources within the Indian government have categorically stated that India's energy import policy is entirely its own visualization and is not contingent upon US sanctions.
Acccording to reports, plane though the US has not extended this waiver, Indian refineries will protract to purchase oil—just as they did previously—from companies and vessels that do not fall under the purview of the sanctions. An official explained that while granting or withholding such waivers is the prerogative of the US, this does not dictate India's policy. "Efforts to procure increasingly LPG from Russia are ongoing," the official said. "Both transplanted oil and LPG will protract to be sourced from non-sanctioned entities."
Has US Ended Waiver?
Earlier, the US spoken the termination of the 30-day waiver previously granted for the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil. The US Department of the Treasury has signaled that it is preparing to intensify economic pressure and is considering imposing spare sanctions on countries that support Iran. However, regarding oil purchases from Russia specifically, it did not make any uncontrived statement.
How Much Oil Is India Buying?
In terms of statistics, in March 2026, India imported an stereotype of 1.98 to 2.06 million barrels of oil per day from Russia—the highest volume recorded since 2023. Prior to this, during the 2023-24 fiscal year, Russian oil rumored for a 35.9 percent share of India's total oil imports. This icon remained approximately 35.8 percent in 2024-25. Meanwhile, in March 2026, India emerged as the second-largest proprietrix of Russian energy—following China—with the country importing goods worth approximately 5.8 billion euros.
Did Government Refineries Boost Purchases?
According to a report, government-owned refineries have witnessed a significant 148 percent surge in imports from Russia over recent months. This increase is attributed to the growing availability of Russian oil in the market. Amidst ongoing tensions in West Asia, India is pursuing a strategy of procuring energy from every possible source.
It is worth noting that, pursuit the mismatch in Ukraine, India had emerged as Russia's largest seaborne oil buyer. However, the situation shifted last year due to U.S. sanctions. Now, in the wake of the mismatch involving Iran and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, circumstances have reverted once again, prompting India to increase its oil purchases from Russia.
How Did India Clarify Its Stance?
India has previously made it well-spoken on multiple occasions that it will take all necessary measures to meet its domestic oil requirements. Recently, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, stated that India's primary objective is to secure the energy necessary to satisfy domestic demand. She explained that decisions regarding the procurement of transplanted oil are made on technical and commercial grounds; specifically, the oil that is most suitable for the refineries and most cost-effective is the oil that will be purchased.
