India has rejected claims that it has stopped buying Russian oil, reiterating that crude sourcing is driven by price, availability, and supply security.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India, which imports about 80–85 per cent of its oil, cannot link energy purchases to political commitments.
“You are aware that India is a net importer in the oil and gas sector. We are a developing economy; we have to be conscious about our resource availability,” Misri said at a press briefing in New Delhi on Monday.
“Our foremost priority is to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers insofar as energy is concerned, to really ensure that they receive adequate energy at the right price and through reliable and secure supplies,” he said.
Misri did not confirm any commitment to end Russian oil imports. He said sourcing decisions are made by oil companies, both public and private, based on commercial factors rather than political direction.
“At any given time, there is a rather complex matrix of issues that these companies have to take into account,” he said. “What I can firmly and confidently say is that whether it is the government or indeed our business, at the end of the day, national interests will be the guiding factor for us in our choices.”
He added that India imports crude from dozens of countries and is not dependent on a single supplier. “We are neither dependent on any single source for this, nor do we intend to be,” he said.
The contrast lies with claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a February 2 post on Truth Social, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil” and would purchase significantly more energy from the United States and “potentially, Venezuela,” linking the move to tariff reductions and efforts to end the Ukraine war.
However, the U.S.–India joint statement issued by the White House announcing an interim trade agreement makes no reference to Russian oil, energy sourcing commitments, or any pledge to halt imports.
Industry data shows that while Russian oil imports into India have moderated, they continue. Russia accounts for roughly 27–30 per cent of India’s crude basket.
A Russia Today post quoting Ambassador Denis Alipov said Russian oil continues to form a core part of India’s imports due to discounted pricing and alternative trade arrangements.
“Significant discounts on Russian grades, plus considerable work on new payment and insurance mechanisms, and alternative transport routes has seen Russian hydrocarbons continue to form the backbone of the Indian economy’s import basket,” Alipov told TASS.
He said U.S. restrictions on Rosneft and Lukoil shifted flows but resulted in market adjustments rather than a halt in supplies. Alipov added that Indian and Russian companies discussed adapting to these changes at Indian Energy Week in Goa.
Read together, Misri’s remarks, import data, and Russian statements point to continuity rather than change. Russian crude flows to India have adjusted but not stopped, and official Indian statements do not record any commitment to halt purchases—marking a clear gap between Trump’s public claims and what appears in the formal U.S.–India record.
