Indian oil refineries stopped ordering Russian oil

News source Reuters said that Indian oil refineries including Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Reliance Industries have stopped accepting new contracts to sell Russian oil for delivery in March and April.

Nayara – a private oil refinery backed by Moscow – also has no plans to import Russian oil in April, due to a month-long plant maintenance.

Most refineries have stopped ordering more Russian oil, but some are still accepting shipments scheduled to receive next month. The source said that factories will only change plans and order Russian oil if there is a recommendation from the government.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Reliance Industries and India’s Petroleum Ministry were not immediately available for comment. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strategic focus to ensure national energy security is “diversifying energy supplies in accordance with objective market conditions and the changing international context”.

India has become the largest customer of Russian oil since the Ukraine conflict broke out in early 2022. India’s imports of Russian oil exceeded 2 million barrels per day in mid-2025, sparking a reaction from the West.

President Donald Trump once imposed a 25% tax on this country’s goods for buying Russian oil. The tax was lifted on February 2, when he announced that New Delhi had “committed to stopping, directly or indirectly” importing Russian oil. According to Mr. Trump’s decree, US officials will monitor and propose re-imposition of tariffs if India resumes trade.

Last weekend, the US and India announced an interim framework for a trade agreement that the two countries hope to complete in March. The framework does not mention Russian oil. New Delhi has also not announced an official plan to stop imports. The Kremlin announced that it had not received news of stopping oil purchases from New Delhi.

Statistics show that the amount of Russian oil entering India fell to its lowest level in two years in December 2025. In the context of reduced purchases of Russian oil, Indian refineries are increasing purchases from the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Last month, sources revealed that India intends to cut Russian oil imports to less than 1 million barrels per day in March and could then reduce them to 500,000 – 600,000 barrels per day, compared to an average of 1.7 million barrels per day last year.