The Indian government has once again clarified its stand regarding the purchase of crude oil from Russia, saying that whether American waiver is granted or not, India will continue to purchase Russian oil based on its energy needs and economic interests. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said on Monday (May 18) that India’s oil purchase policy is not determined by any external pressure but by commercial and national interests.
Sujta Sharma said, “Regarding the American exemption on Russia, I want to make it clear that we were buying oil from Russia even before the exemption, during the exemption and are still buying.”
He further said that economic stability and business feasibility are most important for India. According to him, there is no shortage of crude oil in the country and India has ensured adequate supply. “The most important thing for us is business sense. There is no shortage of crude oil. Adequate supply has already been earmarked and whether we get relaxation or not, our supply will not be affected,” Sharma said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, says, "Regarding American waiver on Russia, I would like to emphasize that we have been purchasing from Russia before waiver also, during waiver, and now also. It is… pic.twitter.com/aFlZwNPJZn
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2026
In fact, the US administration had issued a temporary permission of 30 days related to Russian marine oil purchases in March. Later it was extended till 16 May. However, India never completely stopped purchasing oil from Russia. After the Ukraine war in 2022, when Russia started providing oil at concessional rates, India started buying Russian crude oil on a large scale.
According to data, more than 20 percent of India’s total crude oil imports in February 2026 came from Russia. India is the third largest oil importer in the world and imports more than 80 percent of its crude oil requirement from abroad. In such a situation, the government has been continuously saying that it is India’s sovereign decision from which country to buy oil.
The Government of India has reiterated from Parliament to international forums that energy security is a matter of national interest. India will purchase oil from wherever it is cheap and stable.
Interestingly, some US administration officials had earlier admitted that buying Russian oil by India helps in controlling oil prices in the global market. India’s External Affairs Ministry said last year that the US itself had urged India to continue buying Russian oil to keep the global oil market stable.
However, later America announced to impose 25 percent additional duty on India for purchasing oil from Russia, due to which differences between the two countries on this issue came to the fore. Amidst the ongoing conflict in West Asia and uncertainty in the global energy market, India has clearly indicated that its priority will remain energy security, cheap supply and domestic economic stability.
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