India’s total crude oil imports averaged about 5.3 million barrels a day in September, up from August, with Russia remaining the top supplier even as Russian crude imports fell to a five-month low of about 1.75 million barrels a day.

Two trends moving in different directions at once, overall imports rising while the top supplier’s volume falls, is a useful signal of diversification in progress rather than declining demand.

The pattern traces a clear arc: a record 2.8 million barrels a day from Russia in July, followed by two consecutive monthly declines, even as India’s total crude appetite kept growing to meet the shortfall from elsewhere.

That India has cited tightening Russian supplies and competition from China as reasons for the shift suggests the change is being driven by external supply constraints as much as by any deliberate policy choice to reduce Russian crude dependence.

For a country as reliant on imported crude as India, the more durable story here is less about any single month’s supplier ranking and more about how quickly refiners can absorb shifts in one major supplier’s availability without disrupting overall energy security.

In March 2026, India had nearly doubled its intake of Russian crude in a single month, to 2.25 million barrels a day.

The United Arab Emirates and Venezuela followed Russia among India’s top crude suppliers in September.

Indian refiners have been diversifying crude supply sources amid tightening Russian supplies and competition from China.

India is one of the world’s largest importers of crude oil, given its limited domestic production relative to demand.

Crude oil import volumes and sourcing patterns are closely watched indicators of India’s energy security strategy.

Global crude oil markets have seen shifting trade patterns in recent years amid geopolitical and sanctions-related pressures.

Refiners typically adjust their crude sourcing mix based on price, availability and logistics considerations.

Oil tanker at a refinery jetty (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0