Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that India is not under pressure from the United States to reduce its import of Russian crude oil.
When asked if there was pressure from the US regarding India reducing its Russian petroleum imports, Pri replied saying, "I have never felt any pressure."
Puri said that as the Middle East region is able to transport more oil goods, the supply of oil from this region has been increasing.
He said that before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, India's oil imports from Russia accounted for only 0.2% of its total oil imports. However, after the war started, due to Russian oil being sold at discounted prices, the amount of oil imported from Russia by India increased significantly.
Ship tracking data shows that India's imports of crude oil from the Middle East increased significantly in September, returning to pre-war levels.
Prí said that whether India will purchase Russian oil depends on the discount rate and price level of Russian oil compared to other types of crude oil. He added that the reduction in Russian oil imports is due to Indian refiners increasing their purchases of Gulf region oil sold at discounted prices.
He said, "No matter what people say or do, ultimately, everything is based on their own interests."
Puri also stated that India is expanding its refining capacity to meet domestic demands and export commitments.
