Russia on Monday said it is ready to step in and meet India’s full energy demand if prolonged disruptions affect the country’s oil and gas supplies, PTI reported.
The development comes as tensions in West Asia escalate days after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its military and naval forces, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
“We are ready to meet India’s energy needs in the event of continued power disruptions,” said an official from the Russian Federation embassy. The statement takes on significance after QatarEnergy halted LNG and related production on March 2 following an Iranian drone attack on key facilities in the industrial towns of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed.
India’s energy supply concerns were further heightened when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the arterial waterway between Oman and Iran. According to Kpler, nearly 13 million barrels of oil per day passed through the strait, representing 31% of all oil flows by sea. India relies heavily on West Asia for much of its oil and LNG, although it has expanded its supply base and increased purchases from Russia in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said on Monday that India has sufficient crude oil reserves and sufficient stocks of base fuels including petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to handle any short-term supply disruptions linked to regional tensions. The ministry added: “India has ensured the availability and affordability of energy for its people by diversifying its sources. Indian energy companies now have access to energy supplies that do not go through the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to a Bloomberg report, if the crisis drags on and continues to limit flows, the government could consider curbing fuel exports to ensure sufficient supplies for domestic consumers. It can prioritize gas and piped supplies to households and potentially direct industrial users to switch fuels.
Imports of Russian oil from India are increasing
India’s oil imports from Russia have increased significantly in the past few years, especially since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 following sanctions against Moscow. In August 2025, US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, claimed in a post on X that before Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine, India imported less than 1% of its oil from Moscow, adding that this percentage has now increased by 35% to 40%.
However, India reportedly had to agree to stop buying oil from Moscow in order to sign a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US. US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs last year as part of “Liberation Day”, slapping a 50% tariff on India, making it one of the countries with the highest tariff. Of the 50%, Trump imposed 25% as punishment for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and accused Delhi of financing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
In a bilateral deal that was agreed in February 2026, Trump announced that New Delhi will now buy more Venezuelan oil.
Since then, India has kept purchases of Russian oil to a minimum, loading just over one million barrels a day in February, about half the amount imported at the peak and the lowest level since September 2022. Much of that shortfall was filled by barrels from the Middle East.
But the question remains whether India will be forced to return to importing Russian oil to meet the country’s demand, or whether Tehran will open the Strait of Hormuz.
