India's Russian Oil Imports Reach 9-Month High in March Amid Shift to New Suppliers

India's Oil Imports Surge as Russia Supplies Rise Amid Middle East Disruptions

India's import of Russian oil reached 55.5 million barrels as of March 29, its highest since June 2025, due to a significant increase in purchases from Moscow following disruptions in supplies from the Middle East. The disruptions were caused by a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea and carries about 20 percent of global oil shipments each day.

According to data from commodity analytics firm Kpler, oil imports from Russia increased by 89 percent, from 29 million barrels in February. This surge in Russian oil purchases follows a US sanctions waiver on Russian oil, which allowed Indian refiners to buy both sanctioned and non-sanctioned oil from Moscow loaded on vessels until March 4. While Indian refiners never stopped buying Russian oil, their appetite for these barrels reduced after the US sanctioned major oil producers Rosneft and Lukoil.

India's Crude Oil Imports by Month

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Following the conflict in West Asia and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, the country's crude oil imports significantly decreased. Saudi Arabia remained the second-largest supplier of oil to India, with 17.5 million barrels of imports, followed by Angola, which accounted for 10.2 million barrels. While imports from Saudi Arabia declined by 38 percent from February, purchases from Angola increased by a significant 255 percent on a month-on-month basis, reaching an all-time high.

India's purchases from Iraq declined by 73 percent to 7.3 million barrels, and those from the UAE declined by 59 percent to 6.4 million barrels. To offset declines from its traditional Middle Eastern suppliers, India increased sourcing from Angola, Oman, Ecuador, Gabon, and Sudan.

The recent attack by Yemen's Houthi militants on Israel has raised concerns over potential disruption in the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, another critical chokepoint for global energy trade. The Bab-al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Any disruption in the region could increase freight costs and the country's import bill, analysts said.

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According to Nikhil Dubey, senior research analyst at Kpler, as long as traffic through the Bab al Mandeb Strait remains undisrupted, the impact on India's oil imports will be minimal. However, in the event of any escalation, tankers carrying Russian crude may need to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, leading to longer transit times by around 16-20 days and potentially higher freight costs.

The Bab al Mandeb Strait remains an important route for India's energy imports, with its significance gradually increasing. Over the past two to three years, an average of around 33 percent of India's crude imports has transited through this key route. In March 2026, this share had risen to nearly 40 percent, supported by Saudi Arabian crude supplies rerouted via the country's west coast, Dubey said.