‘India imports more than half of its oil from Russia’:Modi govt should keep buying Russian crude despite Trump’s tariff threats, says expert

India is buying more crude oil from Russia than ever before. In July 2026, Russia supplied about an estimated 52% of India’s imported crude oil. This is up from 48.6% in June 2026, according to a new report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). How the Numbers Were Calculated Because final details for July are not yet out, GTRI used June’s patterns to estimate the numbers. In June, India imported $14.8 billion (₹1.40 lakh crore) of crude oil, with $7.2 billion (₹68,400 crore) coming from Russia. For July, GTRI estimates that India bought about $7.3 billion of Russian crude oil out of $14 billion in total crude imports globally. A Huge Shift in India’s Oil Map India’s oil sources have changed very fast over the last few years. The Conflict with the US The U.S. is considering a new law that could put tariffs of up to 100% on countries that keep buying Russian energy. This puts India in a tough spot. India might have to choose between keeping its exports to the U.S. safe or buying cheap Russian oil. However, the report notes that India cannot easily stop buying from Russia. Stopping quickly would be very hard, expensive, and chaotic. It could: What India Should Do? According to GTRI, India should keep buying Russian oil as long as it is cheap. Discounted Russian oil has helped India save money and protect its energy supply. The report says India should negotiate firmly with the US rather than giving in and hurting its own independence. At what price India buys Russian crude? According to the business daily LiveMint, India bought Russian crude at a discount of $4-$5 per barrel compared to the global benchmark of Brent. The October contract of the Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange traded at $87.88 per barrel on Friday.