India’s Middle East Oil Imports Jump to 2.8 Million Barrels a Day in September
Key Facts
India’s crude oil imports from the Middle East reached about 2.8 million barrels a day in September, the highest level since February, according to a Reuters report published on MarketScreener. The increase came as India’s total oil imports rose 20% month on month to about 5.33 million barrels a day. By contrast, imports from Russia fell about 14% to nearly 1.8 million barrels a day. Russia’s share of India’s oil purchases declined to 33.5% in September, from 46.6% in August. Despite the shift, Russia remained India’s largest supplier, followed by the UAE and then Iraq.
Gulf oil accounted for about 54% of India’s total oil imports in September, pointing to a larger role for regional supplies in its purchasing mix. Imports from Iraq rose sharply, reaching about 830,000 barrels a day, compared with 171,000 in August. The UAE remained India’s second-largest supplier after Russia, with Iraq behind it, according to Reuters’ ranking. The figures indicate that the expansion of Middle East supplies did not change the order of suppliers, but coincided with a decline in Russia’s share of crude imports. Improved flows through the Strait of Hormuz helped increase supplies available to Indian refineries.
The Reuters report attributed the increase in shipments from the Middle East to producers and traders raising volumes shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply constraints imposed by the Iran war. Improved flows gave Indian refineries more room to choose among available crude grades. A source in India’s refining sector said the delivered cost of Russian crude had become comparable to that of some Middle East grades, particularly Iraqi crude. The source added that refinery purchases of Russian oil could remain low in the coming months if this cost comparison persists. The source summed up the buying policy: "We will buy from whoever offers us better prices."
The shift in the import mix comes as India navigates a changing course in U.S. sanctions on buyers of Russian oil. The U.S. president signed the Graham Act on September 18, then issued an executive order on October 16 that included exemptions from its provisions on tariffs, sanctions and restrictions. The order said the exemptions would remain in effect until the president or secretary of state decided to take further action. The timing of the law’s signing alongside the change in imports does not establish that sanctions caused Russian purchases to fall in September. Reuters reported that competition with China, improved supplies through Hormuz and the convergence in delivered costs between Russian crude and some Middle East grades were among the factors linked to the shift.
Supply options remain especially important for a country that relies on imports to meet about 90% of its oil needs, while about half of its supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Associated Press. An Indian foreign ministry official said New Delhi was "actively seeking new sources of crude oil and energy to strengthen its energy security," noting that Venezuela had become an important supplier in recent weeks. The agency reported that Brent crude reached $89 a barrel on Friday, up from just under $73 a week earlier, as tanker traffic through the strait was disrupted amid the regional war. The Indian oil ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell publishes monthly oil and gas reports, including its September 2026 report. The statistics ministry’s calendar lists the next release of the industrial production index data for November 28, 2026.