NEW DELHI — As the United States and Iran edge closer to conflict, India is moving to revive long-standing energy ties with Russia in a bid to shore up its oil and gas supplies. Amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration, New Delhi is ramping up crude purchases from Moscow and negotiating a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal that would reduce its reliance on Middle Eastern energy imports.
The shift reflects India’s growing concerns over the stability of energy flows from the Persian Gulf, a vital lifeline for Asia’s third-largest economy. With the threat of U.S. sanctions looming, India is seeking to diversify its supply sources and deepen its strategic partnership with Russia — a traditional ally that has so far resisted Washington’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran.
The emerging realignment underscores India’s delicate geopolitical balancing act, as it seeks to preserve its ties with both the U.S. and Russia while navigating the escalating tensions in the Middle East. New Delhi’s renewed courtship of Moscow also highlights the limits of American influence, as President Trump’s “America First” policies push traditional partners like India closer to Russia’s orbit.
According to industry sources, state-owned Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp have stepped up their crude purchases from Russia’s Rosneft, with at least 4 million barrels of Russian oil arriving in India since the start of the year. This marks a significant uptick from 2019, when India imported just 2 million barrels of Russian crude over the entire 12-month period.
“Given the uncertainty in the Middle East, India is keen to leverage its historical ties with Russia to expand its energy options,” said Amit Bhandari, an energy and infrastructure fellow at Gateway House, a Mumbai-based think tank. “While the U.S. has been pushing India to reduce its Iranian oil imports, New Delhi is now actively looking to Russia as an alternative supplier.”
India is also in advanced negotiations with Russia’s Rosneft for a long-term LNG supply deal that could see it import up to 9 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) of the super-chilled fuel. If finalized, the agreement would cement Russia’s status as a major energy partner for India, reducing its reliance on Qatari and Australian LNG.
The emerging energy realignment reflects the wider geopolitical shifts unleashed by the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. As the U.S. tightens the screws on Tehran, New Delhi finds itself caught in the crossfire — forced to navigate a treacherous path between its strategic imperatives and Washington’s demands.
