India sharply cuts Russian oil imports after Trump-Modi deal
In January, India’s imports of Russian oil fell to their lowest level since the end of 2022, dropping nearly a quarter compared with December 2025, Reuters reports.
Read also: Sanctions pressure pushes Russia toward possible oil output cuts
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, had previously increased purchases of discounted Russian crude, with some months exceeding 2 million barrels per day.
However, Western sanctions and US pressure to reach a trade agreement forced New Delhi to cut back on Russian oil purchases.
Last month, India imported about 1.1 million barrels of Russian oil per day—the lowest level since November 2022. In January, imports from Russia fell 23.5% compared with December and roughly a third compared with the previous year.
Analyst Sumit Ritola said import volumes are likely to continue declining to an average of 1 to 1.2 million barrels per day in February and around 800,000 barrels per day in March.
"February numbers may appear slightly lower due to timing, as some end-month cargoes discharge in the following month," he noted.
US-India relations
India's rejection of Russian oil was the result of progress in relations with the US. In particular, US President Donald Trump has already removed 25% tariffs on Indian goods, which were initially imposed because of cooperation with Russia.
Trump stated that India has committed to limiting trade with Russia, including directly or indirectly reducing imports of Russian oil.
The US President also said a trade deal has been agreed with India. Under this agreement, the US will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff of 18% instead of 25%, while India will eliminate its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the United States.
