Indian oil refining companies have begun discussions with suppliers in the United States, Russia and West Africa to secure additional crude oil supplies amid concerns that the ongoing West Asia conflict could disrupt global energy flows.
According to sources, Indian refineries have also postponed planned maintenance shutdowns and continued normal processing levels to ensure adequate supplies of petrol and diesel in the near term.
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India currently imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil requirements, with nearly half of those supplies passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Escalating military attacks and retaliatory strikes in the region have heightened tensions and significantly slowed tanker movement through the key waterway.
An official from the oil ministry said India has been increasing crude purchases from sources outside the Strait of Hormuz. “Non-strait sources are fully operational and we are receiving more and more supplies from outside the conflict zones,” the source said. In 2025, around 60 per cent of India’s crude supplies came from such sources, a figure that has now risen to nearly 70 per cent.
To further safeguard supplies, Indian refiners have started buying crude oil from West Africa, Latin America, and the United States.
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Meanwhile, the US has issued a 30-day waiver allowing the sale and delivery of preloaded Russian oil to India. The exemption permits transactions involving crude oil and petroleum products that were loaded onto ships on or before March 5.
Industry sources said around 120 million barrels of Russian crude oil are currently stranded at sea, and Indian companies have already begun purchasing some of these supplies under the temporary exemption.