The average landed price of Russian oil for Indian refineries in September eased from August, according to Indian government data. The data suggests widening discounts as spot discounts for Russian crude in September started to widen due to reduced purchases by Indian refiners amidst high prices and maintenance outages. India mostly buys Russian oil on a delivered basis, and the average purchase price was approximately $81.7 per barrel, lower than August’s $86 per barrel. India’s imports of Russian oil in September declined by around 9% from August to about 1.42 million barrels per day (bpd). The average price paid for Russian oil was lower than barrels from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which averaged $83.56 and $96.16, respectively. India depends on imports to meet more than 80% of its overall oil needs and has become the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian crude since western nations shunned purchases from Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. The purchase price exceeds the $60 per barrel price cap imposed by G7 nations, but the data doesn’t include freight, insurance, and other charges. Russian oil has mostly traded above the price cap since mid-July, as discounts narrowed due to output cuts by OPEC+ producers. The data highlights the dynamics of India’s oil imports and its preference for Russian oil despite transportation costs.