India buying Russian oil, ‘we will buy oil from where we get 'best deal', says Indian envoy

25-Aug-2025

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India's envoy to Russia Vinay Kumar has said, Indian companies will continue buying oil from wherever they get the "best deal", asserting that New Delhi will continue taking measures which protect its "national interest".

New Delhi's priority is ensuring energy security of the country's 1.4 billion people, in an interview with Russia's state-run TASS news agency published Sunday, Kumar said that.  His remarks come amid US criticism of India’s purchase of discounted Rus. Russian crude, a criticism which India has strongly rejected. 

Elaborating more Kumar said, trade takes place on a "commercial basis", Kumar said, "Indian companies will continue buying from wherever they get the best deal. So that's what the current situation is.... "...We have clearly stated that our objective is energy security of 1.4 billion people of India and India's cooperation with Russia, as of several other countries, has helped to bring about stability in the oil market, global oil market," the report quoted him as saying. 

The Indian envoy’s comment comes in the backdrop of the Donald Trump administration doubling tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. 

The US has alleged that India's purch... purchase of Russian crude oil. The US has alleged that India's purchases of Russian crude oil are funding Moscow's war in Ukraine, a charge strongly rejected by India. 

Kumar said the, ‘’Indian government "will continue taking measures which will protect the national interest of the country" calling Washington's decision "unfair, unreasonable and unjustified".