Indias shift away from Russian oil imports predates Trump tariffs

India is implementing a bigger technique to cut back its dependence on oil imports from Russia, with the upper tariffs imposed by the U.S. coming at a time when India was already reducing its Russian oil imports, in keeping with an evaluation of official information. This has additionally been confirmed by authorities officers.

An evaluation by The Hindu of presidency commerce information reveals India’s oil imports from Russia in September 2025 — the primary full month throughout which the U.S.’ 50% tariffs on Indian imports have been relevant — have been 29% decrease when it comes to worth and 17% decrease when it comes to quantity than in September 2024.

However, the information reveals that that is a part of an extended technique quite than a response to the tariffs — 25% of which had been imposed as a ‘penalty’ for importing Russian oil.

Longer technique

The Russian oil-related 25% further tariff by the U.S. on Indian imports got here into impact on August 27. However, India has lower the worth of Russian oil imports in eight out of the earlier 10 months as much as September 2025, the newest month for which there’s official information. In 5 of those months — February, May, June, July, and September — the cuts have been by greater than 20% every. 

“India has recognized for some time now that its dependence on Russian oil imports had grown too excessive and so it was already engaged on a plan to cut back this,” an official within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry informed The Hindu on the situation of anonymity given the sensitivity of the problem. 

“The Trump tariffs have come throughout that point,” the official stated. “Yes, they’re an element to be stored in thoughts, however they aren’t driving Indian insurance policies.”

Several Indian Ministers, together with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have asserted that India will make its vitality import selections as per its wants and finest pursuits, and never underneath duress.

Declining share

The discount of Russian oil is not only in absolute phrases, but additionally when it comes to its share in India’s whole oil imports. 

Russian oil accounted for about 41% of India’s whole oil imports in September 2024, which got here all the way down to 31% by September 2025. However, quite than a one-off, the information confirms that is a part of an extended course of.

Russia’s share in India’s oil imports grew from 1.6% in 2020-21, to 2% in 2021-22, earlier than leaping to 19% in 2022-23, 33.4% in 2023-24, and 35.1% in 2024-25. 

The first six months of 2025-26 have, nonetheless, snapped this four-year growing development, with Russia’s share falling to 32.3% within the April-September 2025 interval.

Diversified imports

Russia’s battle in Ukraine, the resultant sanctions on it by the U.S. and Europe, and the reductions it supplied India resulted in a big shift in India’s oil import basket for just a few years after the battle began, with an growing dependence on Russia. 

Some of that’s now reversing itself as India as soon as once more has began shifting away from Russian oil.

In 2021-22, the US accounted for 9.2% of India’s oil imports and the UAE accounted for 12.4%. This was when Russia nonetheless solely accounted for two% of India’s oil imports. 

By 2024-25, Russia accounted for 35.1% of India’s oil, whereas the shares of the U.S. and the UAE had fallen to 4.6% and 9.7%, respectively. 

In the primary six months of 2025-26, the U.S.’ share has as soon as once more elevated to eight% and that of the UAE to 11.7%, whilst Russia’s share has fallen.