Amid growing pressure from the United States, India's Reliance Industries has announced that it does not anticipate any deliveries of Russian crude oil in January 2026 and has not received any such shipments in the past three weeks. The announcement follows increased scrutiny of India's Russian oil imports and warnings from Washington.

Reliance, which had emerged as India's largest buyer of Russian crude, refuted a recent Bloomberg report that indicated three vessels carrying Russian oil were en route to its Jamnagar refinery. In a statement released on X, the company termed the report as "blatantly untrue" and expressed disappointment that its denial was allegedly ignored prior to publication.

India significantly increased its intake of discounted Russian seaborne crude following the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022, after Western nations sanctioned Russia's energy sector. These purchases have faced criticism from Western countries, which argue that oil revenues assist in funding Moscow's war efforts.

The reduction in Russian crude purchases by Reliance is expected to further decrease India's overall oil imports from Russia in January. Some reports suggest that India's Russian crude imports could dip below 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, marking a three-year low. This would represent a substantial decline from the peak of approximately 2 million bpd in June 2025.

Several factors are contributing to this shift. Stricter sanctions from the US and the European Union have already impacted Russian oil flows to India. Furthermore, there are reports that Indian authorities have requested refiners to provide weekly disclosures of their Russian and United States oil purchases, potentially as New Delhi seeks to secure a trade agreement with Washington.

In early January 2026, US President Donald Trump issued a warning to India to reduce its imports of Russian oil or potentially face increased tariffs. In August 2025, the US doubled its tariffs on Indian goods to 50% due to India's Russian oil imports.

Reliance had previously signed a 25-year supply deal with Russia's Rosneft in December 2024 for up to 500,000 barrels per day. However, the company halted Russian crude imports effective November 20, 2025, ahead of an EU ban on fuel made from Russian oil processed through third countries, which is set to take effect on January 21, 2026. This ban impacts the import of fuels processed in third countries using Russian crude.

While Reliance has significantly scaled back its Russian oil imports, other Indian entities, including Nayara Energy and state-owned refiners, continue to purchase Russian crude. Nayara Energy, which has significant ownership by Russia's Rosneft, has also reportedly reduced its Russian oil imports following sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom.

India's increased reliance on Russian oil in recent years has provided short-term economic benefits, including reduced crude costs and stable domestic fuel prices. However, it has also led to increased diplomatic pressure from the United States. Moving forward, India faces the challenge of balancing its energy needs with its relationships with key global partners.