India Crude Oil Imports by Country 2026: Top Suppliers and Import Trends

 India is one of the world's largest consumers and importers of crude oil. With domestic production unable to keep pace with the country's growing energy requirements, overseas crude remains essential for transportation, manufacturing, petrochemicals, power-related activities, and the broader economy.

The pattern of India crude oil imports by country has changed considerably over the past few years. Traditional Middle Eastern suppliers such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait remain important, but Russia has emerged as India's largest source of crude oil. At the same time, refiners are increasingly looking towards the United States, Latin America, and Africa to diversify supplies.

For businesses following the Indian energy market, understanding india oil imports by country 2026 provides useful insight into the country's energy security, international trade relationships, and exposure to global oil-market disruptions.

How Much Crude Oil Does India Import?

Anyone asking how much crude oil does india import should first consider the scale of India's dependence on overseas supplies.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India's crude oil import dependence remained at approximately 88% during FY 2023-24, FY 2024-25, and FY 2025-26. This means that only a relatively small part of India's crude requirement is met through domestic production.

The scale is substantial. A June 2026 energy-security report based on Ministry of Commerce and Industry trade statistics put India's total crude oil imports at about 244.44 million tonnes for the period covered by its dataset.

Import volumes also fluctuate from month to month. In May 2026, for example, India imported approximately 159.9 million barrels of crude, up 12% from April.

India therefore needs a large and diversified network of suppliers to keep its refineries operating and satisfy domestic petroleum demand.

India Crude Oil Imports by Country: Major Suppliers

If the question is india import crude oil from which countries, the answer covers a broad geographical range. India sources crude from Russia, the Middle East, the United States, Africa, and Latin America.

The country's supplier mix can change rapidly according to crude prices, freight costs, sanctions, geopolitical developments, refinery requirements, and availability.

1. Russia

Russia has become the most important country in the India crude oil imports by country rankings.

Its position changed dramatically after 2022 as Indian refiners increased purchases of Russian crude. In FY 2024-25, Russia accounted for around 36% of India's crude imports, compared with negligible volumes only a few years earlier.

The trend became even stronger during parts of 2026. In July 2026, Russia supplied approximately 2.47 million barrels per day and accounted for a record 50.83% of India's crude imports.

Price competitiveness, availability, and changing geopolitical conditions have all contributed to Russia's rise as India's leading crude supplier.

2. Iraq

Iraq has traditionally been one of India's biggest crude oil suppliers and continues to play an important role despite Russia taking the top position.

In FY 2024-25, Iraq accounted for approximately 20% of India's crude oil imports. Iraqi crude has long been attractive to Indian refiners because of established supply relationships, suitable crude grades, and geographical proximity compared with more distant suppliers.

During April-January FY 2025-26, India imported crude worth approximately $20.56 billion from Iraq, making it one of the country's largest suppliers by value.

3. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia remains another major source of crude for India. The country has historically maintained a significant share of India's import basket and continues to be strategically important for Indian refiners.

Saudi Arabia accounted for around 15% of India's crude imports in FY 2024-25. During April-January FY 2025-26, crude imports from Saudi Arabia were valued at roughly $16.32 billion.

Its monthly share can vary substantially. After falling during May and June 2026, Saudi Arabia's share was estimated to recover to around 10% in July.

4. United Arab Emirates

The UAE has become increasingly significant in India's crude sourcing strategy.

It accounted for approximately 8% of India's crude imports in FY 2024-25. During April-January FY 2025-26, India's crude imports from the UAE reached about $13.1 billion, an increase of more than 12% compared with the corresponding previous-year period.

The UAE's role became even more prominent in 2026. In May, it was India's second-largest crude supplier with a 15.2% share of import volumes.

5. United States

The United States has gained importance as India attempts to maintain a more diversified crude oil import portfolio.

During April-January FY 2025-26, India's crude imports from the US were worth approximately $8.91 billion, compared with $5.44 billion during the corresponding previous period. That represented an increase of almost 64%.

US crude can provide Indian refiners with another major supply option outside Russia and the Middle East, although economics such as freight rates and crude-price differentials influence purchasing decisions.

6. Kuwait

Kuwait is another established Gulf supplier to India. During April-January FY 2025-26, India imported approximately $3.89 billion worth of crude from Kuwait, up from about $3.16 billion during the comparable previous period.

While its share is smaller than those of Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, Kuwait contributes to India's diversified Middle Eastern supply base.

7. Nigeria and Angola

African producers also form an important part of India's crude sourcing network.

Nigeria supplied approximately $3.65 billion worth of crude during April-January FY 2025-26, while imports from Angola were worth around $2.88 billion.

African crude provides Indian refiners with additional grades and reduces excessive reliance on a limited number of regions.

8. Brazil and Other Latin American Suppliers

Latin America is becoming increasingly relevant to India's oil-import strategy.

Brazilian crude imports more than doubled in value during April-January FY 2025-26 compared with the same period a year earlier. Venezuela has also re-emerged as a significant supplier when trade conditions permit.

The trend accelerated during 2026. From April to July, Latin America's share of India's crude imports rose to 12.7%, compared with 3.5% previously, supported particularly by supplies from Brazil and Venezuela.

Why Does India Import So Much Crude Oil?

India's high import dependence is largely the result of a mismatch between domestic crude production and rapidly growing consumption.

Economic expansion, increasing vehicle ownership, aviation, manufacturing, petrochemical production, freight movement, and urbanisation all contribute to petroleum demand. Domestic crude production, meanwhile, is insufficient to satisfy the requirements of India's large refining industry.

This explains why the answer to india buys crude oil from which country cannot be limited to a single supplier. India needs relationships with numerous oil-producing nations to maintain reliable supplies and manage geopolitical and commercial risks.

India's Crude Oil Import Strategy Is Becoming More Diversified

India's sourcing strategy is driven heavily by economics and energy security.

For many years, the Middle East dominated the country's crude import basket. That changed sharply with the growth of Russian supplies. More recently, imports from the United States and Latin America have also increased.

The situation can change quickly. Russia accounted for roughly half of India's imports in June and July 2026, but overall Russian volumes were expected to decline in August as China increased purchases of Russian seaborne crude. India's total crude imports were consequently projected at around 4.17 million barrels per day for August.

Such shifts demonstrate why India continues to maintain relationships with suppliers across several regions rather than becoming permanently dependent on one country.

What Affects India's Choice of Crude Oil Suppliers?

Indian refiners do not choose suppliers purely on the basis of geography. Price is a major consideration, but several other factors influence purchasing decisions.

Refiners consider crude quality and refinery compatibility, freight and insurance costs, transportation time, contractual terms, sanctions, payment arrangements, geopolitical risk, and the availability of particular grades.

Disruptions to major shipping routes can also rapidly change purchasing patterns. During the June quarter of 2026, Middle Eastern supplies declined while imports from Russia and Latin America increased amid disruptions affecting regional trade routes.

This flexibility helps Indian refiners respond to changing international market conditions.

Future of India's Crude Oil Imports

India's crude import requirement is likely to remain substantial as the economy expands and petroleum consumption grows. Although renewable energy, electric vehicles, biofuels, and domestic exploration can reduce the rate of growth in oil demand, crude oil will remain an important part of India's energy system for the foreseeable future.

The bigger change may occur in where India buys its oil.

Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are likely to remain major suppliers, while the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Nigeria, Angola, and other producers provide additional diversification opportunities.

Conclusion

The India crude oil imports by country picture shows how dramatically the country's energy trade has evolved. Russia is currently the dominant supplier, while Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States, Kuwait, Nigeria, Angola, Brazil, Venezuela, and several other countries contribute to India's crude requirements.

For anyone searching india oil imports by country 2026, the key takeaway is that India's import basket is increasingly dynamic. Supplier rankings can change significantly from one month to another as prices, availability, shipping conditions, and geopolitical developments shift.

So, india import crude oil from which countries? The answer is no longer simply the major Gulf producers. India now buys crude from a broad network spanning Russia, West Asia, North America, Africa, and Latin America.

And when asking how much crude oil does india import, the scale explains why this diversification matters: India continues to depend on overseas crude for roughly 88% of its requirements, making reliable and competitive international supply relationships critical to the country's energy security.