November 6, 2025

Reliance Industries, India's biggest buyer of Russian crude oil, is now dialing down its purchases from Russia. Why? To follow strict Western sanctions and keep its doors open in the US and European fuel markets. According to experts and shipping data, Reliance’s Russian oil imports dropped by 24% in October compared to September. They fell 23% below its average intake from April to September. Fresh stats from Kpler, a top data firm, show Russia’s share in Reliance's crude mix fell from 56% in September to just 43% in October. But Reliance isn’t running out of fuel! Instead, it's hitting the pumps in the Middle East — Saudi oil imports jumped a whopping 87%, and Iraqi supplies rose 31%. Together, these sources now make up 40% of Reliance’s supply, up from 26% last month. Meanwhile, oil from the US nearly doubled, reaching about 10% of total imports, up from 5% in September. What sparked this switch? It’s not only the latest US sanctions on big Russian oil firms like Rosneft and Lukoil. Earlier worries also played a role — the Trump administration’s heavy pressure, new tariffs on Indian exports starting August, and strict European Union sanctions announced in July (set to begin in January). Reliance gets its Russian oil from Rosneft under a big contract for about 500,000 barrels per day. But now, with tight US rules and the threat of secondary sanctions, “RIL just can’t afford to violate sanctions. It has too much exposure to the US. Some of the biggest tech companies have invested in its tech ventures,” said an insider. Reliance plans to stop all crude purchases from sanctioned Russian companies after November 21, which is the deadline for the US wind-down period. However, if restrictions ease later, Reliance might ramp up Russian oil imports again. The company has confirmed it will follow all international sanctions. Here’s a smart twist: The European Union explained last month how refineries can still send fuels to Europe even if they use Russian crude. If the refinery can separate Russian oil while processing, exporting to the EU is allowed, as long as they prove the fuel comes from non-Russian oil lines. If segregation isn’t possible, the refinery must show no Russian oil was used in the past 60 days. In short, Reliance is playing a careful, vital balancing act—cutting Russian oil to stay safe under sanctions, while using new oil sources from the Middle East and the US to keep India’s energy engine running smoothly.

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Tags: Reliance industries, Russian crude oil, Us sanctions, European Markets, Oil imports, Energy Supply,