Russia to remain India’s top crude supplier as refiners lean on discounted barrels, analysts say

India’s crude oil imports from Russia edged lower in September but continued to account for over a third of the country’s total oil purchases, highlighting the persistence of Russian barrels in the Indian fuel supply chain despite mounting US pressure over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Preliminary data from global trade analytics firm Kpler showed that India’s total crude imports in September stood at around 4.7 million barrels per day (bpd), up 2,20,000 bpd month-on-month and flat year-on-year.