What happened
According to Reuters, citing five industry and government sources, Indian authorities have asked oil refineries to provide weekly data on purchases of Russian and American crude oil. The initiative comes from the planning and analysis unit of the Ministry of Petroleum and, according to sources, is required by the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Why they are doing this
One government official said the goal is to have “verified figures” to respond to U.S. inquiries without relying on secondary analytical sources. This means an effort to achieve more timely transparency in supplies and to be in a stronger position in talks with Washington on trade and energy issues.
"We want timely and accurate data on oil imports from Russia and the U.S., so that when the U.S. asks for information, we can provide verified figures instead of them relying on secondary sources."
— Government official, Reuters source
Context: sanctions, tariffs and real numbers
The request for weekly reporting comes amid heightened international attention on flows of Russian oil. Reuters notes several key factors: in August the U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods related to India’s purchases of Russian oil; in November sanctions on certain Russian companies affected the price of the Urals grade and supertanker freight rates; and, according to Kpler, India’s share of imports from Russia in 2025 was about 35%, while from the U.S. it was about 6.6%.
Reuters also cites a fall in imports of Russian crude oil into India: from 1.84 million barrels per day in November to about 1.2 million barrels per day in December.
What it means for markets and geopolitics
Timely reporting increases transparency of supplies and reduces opportunities for manipulation by parties that rely on secondary sources. Analysts note that if India does increase purchases of American crude, it would put further pressure on Russia’s export flows and shift the balance of demand in the global market as well as freight routes.
For partners including the U.S., the move signals that India wants stronger informational control over its energy flows to gain leverage in negotiations and avoid reputational risks. For Russia, a potential reduction in volumes to its largest buyer in Asia would be another channel of pressure on exporters’ revenues.
Brief conclusion
India’s request for weekly data is not just internal administration: it is a mechanism that boosts transparency and gives New Delhi a tool for negotiations with Washington and other partners. The question is whether this administrative transparency will translate into a sustained redistribution of purchases — and how quickly that will affect Russian export revenues and global prices. This is worth watching, because changes in energy flows have direct consequences for security and the economy worldwide, including Europe and Ukraine.
