India Slashes U.S. and Russian Crude, Lifting UAE Share to Record 26.5%

Official Indian government data reported by The Hindu shows that India cut crude oil imports from the United States to zero in September 2026 and reduced imports of Russian crude by nearly 18% compared to August. The shift coincided with the passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 16 and signed into law by President Donald Trump on September 18. The U.S. legislation empowered the imposition of tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing substantial quantities of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

To compensate for the decline in American and Russian supplies, Indian refiners shifted procurement toward the United Arab Emirates. Indian crude imports from the UAE increased by 67% month-on-month compared to August 2026, and by 109% compared to September 2025. This pushed the UAE's share in India's total crude imports to an all-time high of 26.5% in September 2026, rising from 17.4% recorded in August.

Russia's share of India's crude imports fell to 33% in September 2026, down from 44% in August and a peak of approximately 51% in July. Despite the changes in supplier proportions, India's crude sourcing remained heavily concentrated, with Russia and the UAE jointly accounting for 60% of all crude imports in September. Over the 12 months prior to September, U.S. crude had averaged slightly above 5% of Indian oil purchases before falling to zero.

In total volume terms, India imported 209.4 lakh tonnes of crude oil in September 2026, an increase of 9.5% from August and 4.1% higher than September 2025. Sustained elevated crude prices raised India's monthly oil import bill to nearly $14.3 billion, an increase of 16.4% compared to August and 33% higher than in September 2025.