India’s US crude imports hit 540,000 bpd, highest since 2022

29 Oct 2025 CW Team

US export data indicates that October is likely to close at around 575,000 bpd, with November projected between 400,000 and 450,000 bpd. This marks a steep rise from India’s year-to-date average of roughly 300,000 bpd.

Sumit Ritolia, lead research analyst for refining, supply and modelling at Kpler, said the surge was largely driven by favourable market conditions.

“The increase was economics-driven, supported by a strong arbitrage window, a wider Brent-WTI spread, and the absence of Chinese demand, which made WTI Midland crude more competitive on a delivered basis for Indian refiners,” he said.

Brent serves as the global oil benchmark, while WTI (West Texas Intermediate) is a US benchmark. WTI Midland refers to a specific grade of American crude.

The rise in imports comes amid heightened trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi following US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose sweeping 50 per cent tariffs on India — half of which serves as a punitive duty on Russian oil imports. The increased US purchases reflect India’s effort to diversify its crude sources and ease pressure from these tariffs.

Despite the shift, Russia remains India’s largest crude supplier, with average deliveries of around 1.75 million bpd. Iraq ranks second, followed by Saudi Arabia. However, these flows could be disrupted by recent US sanctions against Russian oil majors Rosneft and Lukoil, which together account for nearly 60 per cent of India’s Russian oil imports.

While expanding US crude imports enhances India’s diversification strategy, higher freight costs continue to pose challenges for refiners.

Ritolia cautioned that the trend may not last: “The surge highlights India’s refining flexibility and ability to capture short-term opportunities, but it is arbitrage-led, not structural. Longer voyage times, higher shipping costs, and WTI’s lighter, naphtha-rich yield will limit further increases in buying.”

India imported 540,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from the United States in October — its highest level since 2022 — according to data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler as of 27 October. US export data indicates that October is likely to close at around 575,000 bpd, with November projected between 400,000 and 450,000 bpd. This marks a steep rise from India’s year-to-date average of roughly 300,000 bpd. Sumit Ritolia, lead research analyst for refining, supply and modelling at Kpler, said the surge was largely driven by favourable market conditions. “The increase was economics-driven, supported by a strong arbitrage window, a wider Brent-WTI spread, and the absence of Chinese demand, which made WTI Midland crude more competitive on a delivered basis for Indian refiners,” he said. Brent serves as the global oil benchmark, while WTI (West Texas Intermediate) is a US benchmark. WTI Midland refers to a specific grade of American crude. The rise in imports comes amid heightened trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi following US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose sweeping 50 per cent tariffs on India — half of which serves as a punitive duty on Russian oil imports. The increased US purchases reflect India’s effort to diversify its crude sources and ease pressure from these tariffs. Despite the shift, Russia remains India’s largest crude supplier, with average deliveries of around 1.75 million bpd. Iraq ranks second, followed by Saudi Arabia. However, these flows could be disrupted by recent US sanctions against Russian oil majors Rosneft and Lukoil, which together account for nearly 60 per cent of India’s Russian oil imports. While expanding US crude imports enhances India’s diversification strategy, higher freight costs continue to pose challenges for refiners. Ritolia cautioned that the trend may not last: “The surge highlights India’s refining flexibility and ability to capture short-term opportunities, but it is arbitrage-led, not structural. Longer voyage times, higher shipping costs, and WTI’s lighter, naphtha-rich yield will limit further increases in buying.”

Infrastructure Urban

11 Mar 2026

India Expands Semiconductor Training To 500 Institutions

Under the Chips to Startups programme of the India Semiconductor Mission, the Union minister responsible for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and IT reported notable progress in talent development. He indicated that over the past four years substantial steps have been taken towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. World-class EDA tools have been deployed in 315 academic institutions across the country to provide students with practical exposure to chip design. These EDA tools are supported by leading global firms and are accessible t..

Infrastructure Urban

11 Mar 2026

Delhi Institutions Support India Semiconductor Mission

The Government of India has prioritised talent development through training, upskilling and workforce development under the Chips to Startups initiative of the India Semiconductor Mission, with officials noting progress in four years towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. Electronic design automation tools provided by Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens, Renesas, Ansys and AMD have been deployed in 315 academic institutions, enabling students to gain practical chip design experience. Chips have been fabricated and tested at the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali, a..

Infrastructure Urban

11 Mar 2026

NHA Announces Winners Of NHCX Hackathon At IIT Hyderabad

The National Health Authority (NHA) has concluded the NHCX Hackathon under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to stimulate innovation around the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX). The winning teams presented their solutions at the NHCX Innovation Meet held at IIT Hyderabad during a two-day event in March 2026 that also served as the hackathon grand finale. The hackathon itself ran from 22 to 28 February 2026 and aimed to accelerate paperless, transparent claims processing across India. The event was organised with a range of ecosystem partners, including the Insurance Regulatory a..