On August 2, 2025, Donald Trump stated “he had heard” that India might be halting Russian oil imports, calling it a “good step” if true—but acknowledged he wasn’t certain .
State-owned refiners (IOC, BPCL, HPCL, MRPL) reportedly paused imports of Russian crude oil in late July 2025—not due to a government directive, but amid shrinking discounts and rising U.S. tariff pressure. The four refiners regularly buy Russian oil on a delivered basis and have turned to spot markets for replacement supply – mostly Middle Eastern grades such as Abu Dhabi’s Murban crude and West African oil. Private refiners Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy are the biggest Russian oil buyers in India, but state refiners control over 60% of India’s overall 5.2 million barrels per day refining capacity.
The MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) emphasized that no official instruction was issued to stop buying Russian oil. Energy procurement, they stress, continues to be based on market factors and national interest.
The MEA reaffirmed that energy decisions are guided by market dynamics and sovereignty, and clarified it had no knowledge of any such halt by oil firms.
While some state-run Indian oil refiners paused Russian spot purchases, there is no official government policy banning such imports, and India continues to procure Russian crude under longer-term contracts via private refiners. Trump’s praise reflects speculation, not confirmed policy.
For More Info Stay Tuned: https://skylinktimes.in
