Reliance-led cuts push India to third spot in Russian oil purchases: Report

India slipped to third place among buyers of Russian fossil fuels in December after Reliance Industries and state-run refiners sharply cut crude oil imports, data from European think tank Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) showed on Tuesday.

India’s total imports of Russian hydrocarbons fell to 2.3 billion euros in December from 3.3 billion euros a month earlier, CREA said, as Turkiye overtook India to become the second-largest buyer with purchases worth 2.6 billion euros.

China remained the top importer, accounting for 48% of export revenues among the top five buyers, or about 6 billion euros.

CREA said crude oil made up 78% of India’s December purchases, totalling 1.8 billion euros, with coal worth 424 million euros and oil products 82 million euros making up the rest.

India’s Russian crude imports fell 29% month-on-month to the lowest levels since the implementation of the price cap policy.

These drops occurred despite total imports growing marginally, the think tank said.

Reliance, state refiners lead cuts

The cuts were led by Reliance Industries, whose Jamnagar refinery halved Russian crude imports in December.

CREA said all of Reliance’s shipments were supplied by Rosneft, from cargoes bought before US sanctions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control took effect.

In November, Reliance Industries (RIL) announced that it has halted the use of Russian crude at its export-only refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in compliance with European Union sanctions.

Jamnagar complex is made up of two refineries – one SEZ unit from which fuels are exported to the European Union, the US, and other markets, and an older unit that caters to the domestic market.

The European Union had imposed wide-ranging sanctions targeting Russia's energy revenues, including measures that restrict the import and sale of fuels produced from Russian crude oil.

"From December 1, all product exports from the SEZ refinery will be obtained from non-Russian crude oil," the firm said.

"The transition has been completed ahead of schedule to ensure full compliance with product-import restrictions coming into force in January 2026."

State-owned refiners cut Russian imports by about 15%, it added.

India became the biggest buyer of discounted Russian crude after Western countries shunned Moscow following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s share of India’s crude imports surged from under 1% to nearly 40% at its peak, but eased to about 25% in December from 35% in November, CREA said.

In October, the United States imposed sweeping sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, two of Russia’s largest oil companies.

The move prompted companies including Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd to halt or curb purchases.

Indian Oil Corporation, however, continues to buy from non-sanctioned Russian suppliers.

China remained the largest global buyer of Russian fossil fuels overall, with crude accounting for about 60% of its December purchases, followed by coal and pipeline gas.

The European Union ranked fourth among buyers with imports worth 1.3 billion euros, about half of which was liquefied natural gas, while Saudi Arabia ranked fifth, importing 328 million euros of Russian oil products.

Rising US pressure on India

The data comes amid renewed pressure from Washington to stop India from buying Russian crude oil.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that India had reduced purchases of Russian oil after the United States raised tariff pressure, warning that tariffs could be increased quickly if needed.

Trump has “greenlit” a bipartisan bill that would allow the White House to impose punishing tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue buying Russian oil and gas, according to US Senator Lindsey Graham.

In a post on X, Graham said he had a “very productive meeting” with Trump, following which the president approved the sanctions legislation that Graham has been working on for months with Senator Richard Blumenthal and others.

The legislation seeks to impose what Graham described as “secondary tariffs” of up to 500% on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy.

“This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine,” Graham wrote.

Graham and Blumenthal have introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, which seeks to impose secondary tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue to fund Russia’s war effort. The legislation currently has 85 co-sponsors in the US Senate.

India’s response

India on Friday said it is carefully monitoring all related issues and developments connected to the proposed US legislation that seeks to impose 500% “secondary tariffs” on countries continuing to buy Russian oil and gas.

Responding to a media query on reports that US President Donald Trump has backed the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said , “We are fully aware of the proposed bill being discussed, and we are carefully monitoring all related issues and developments connected with it.”

“As far as energy sources are concerned, you are well aware of our approach. We take into account the conditions and environment in the global market, while also keeping in mind our imperative of ensuring that energy is made available at affordable prices to our 1.4 billion people,” he added.