India’s Russian oil imports at 6-month high in November 2025, U.S. imports jump too

India’s Russian oil imports reached a six-month high in terms of both volume and value in November 2025, with its share in India’s total oil imports rising to 35%, latest official data showed.

This comes at a time when there has been little progress in finalizing a tariff agreement with the US, however, at the same time, India has also increased its purchases of US oil, reaching a seven-month high in November 2025, with the US accounting for about 13% of India’s oil imports that month.

Russia and the US accounted for almost half of India’s total oil imports in November 2025.

Russian oil surge

The latest data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry shows that India imported 7.7 million tonnes of oil from Russia in November 2025, accounting for 35.1% of India’s total oil imports that month.

This amount is about 7% more than the quantity imported in November 2024 and the highest since May 2025.

In value terms, India imported Russian oil worth $3.7 billion in November 2025, accounting for 34% of India’s total oil import bill that month.

Disappointment over tariff deal

The reason for the US increasing tariffs on Indian imports from 25% to 50% in August 2025 was because of the ‘penalty’ for Russian oil imports. This is despite the fact that, in seven of the eight months to August, India had cut its Russian oil imports on a year-on-year basis.

According to Commerce and Industry Ministry sources, there is growing frustration in the government that despite India cutting Russian oil imports, little progress has been made in addressing the tariff issue.

“India has already presented its final proposal to the US and the negotiators have done what they can,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue. “The matter is now pending before them [the U.S.’] leadership and nothing seems to be moving forward there.”

Balancing American interests

However, despite these obvious disappointments, India is walking a good path to balance US interests.

India’s oil imports from the US reached a seven-month high of nearly 2.8 million tonnes and $1.4 billion in November 2025. As a result, the US’s share in Indian oil imports rose to 12.6% in November 2025 from 4.2% and 5.1% a month and a year ago, respectively.

“If America is serious about this [India-U.S.] Under the partnership, it should first reduce punitive tariffs on Indian exports from 50% to 25%, especially since the Russian oil issue – the alleged trigger – has already been resolved, said Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative and former director general of foreign trade for the Indian government.