India Looks Beyond Middle East Oil After Hormuz Shipping Concerns
India, the world’s third‑largest oil importer, is quickly pivoting away from its traditional Middle East suppliers as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed due to the US‑Israeli war with Iran.
Before the conflict began in late February, most of India’s crude came from nearby Gulf producers. In April and May, however, Indian refiners raised imports from Venezuela, Brazil, Angola, and Nigeria to fill the gap, while continuing to buy Russian oil.
Shipments from Iraq were halted entirely last month. At the same time, India received Iranian oil after a seven‑year gap, following a temporary US waiver aimed at stabilising global prices.
Russia remains India’s top supplier, followed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia — the only two Gulf producers with pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Brazil ranked fourth in April, with Venezuela climbing to fifth.
Overall, India’s April oil imports held steady at 4.57 million barrels per day, but fell 15.5% from a year earlier. The share of OPEC members in India’s import mix rose to 45.2% in April, up from around 30% in March.
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