India's crude oil sourcing strategy has shown a clear shift toward lower-risk and more execution-reliable supply, with the Middle Eastern barrels gaining share as Russian crude flows remain present but increasingly selective and compliance-driven. Russian crude rose from under 1 per cent of India's imports to roughly 40 per cent at its peak. "India will likely keep buying of Russian crude in early 2026, but at a slightly lower level than the record highs seen in 2023-2025. India's Russian crude purchases in January 2026 and across Q1 2026 are expected to average around 1.2 million bpd (January) and 1.3-1.5 million bpd (Q1), he said. The only exception is Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy, which continues to rely heavily on Russian crude after EU sanctions curtailed alternative supplies.

Source: The Telegraph January 25, 2026 06:50 UTC