India Acting on Market Conditions, Global Dynamics in Oil Purchases: MEA

India on Saturday neither confirmed nor denied the Biden administration’s assertion that New Delhi has agreed to halt purchases of Russian oil as part of its interim trade framework with the United States, choosing instead to stress that its energy decisions will be guided by market conditions and national interests.

US President Donald Trump’s executive order last week removing punitive tariffs imposed on Indian goods stated that India had committed to stop “directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil” and would purchase energy products from the United States. However, Indian officials have not formally endorsed that interpretation.

When asked about the US claim during a briefing on the trade agreement, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal deferred to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which reiterated that ensuring the energy security of India’s 1.4 billion citizens is the government’s “supreme priority.” The MEA said India’s approach involves diversifying energy sourcing based on objective market conditions and international dynamics, without explicitly ruling out Russian oil purchases.

Indian statements and social media posts about the India-US trade framework have not mentioned energy sourcing commitments, and New Delhi has maintained that its energy policy will continue to be driven by national interest and global market factors.

Reports indicate India’s imports of Russian oil have fallen recently, but there is no indication that purchases will drop to zero. India also continues to explore alternative suppliers, including Venezuela, as part of its diversification strategy.

In short, while the US has framed tariff relief as contingent on India curbing Russian oil imports, the Indian government has avoided confirming such a commitment and emphasised that energy security and market realities will shape its procurement choices.