https://www.rediff.com/news/report/neve ... 260306.htm
Never required permission to buy Russian oil: Officials
India affirms its sovereign right to purchase Russian oil based on its energy needs, dismissing the notion that it requires permission from any other nation, even amidst US sanctions.
Utkarsh Mishra, March 06, 2026
India has never been dependent on permission from any nation to buy Russian oil and though the United States sanctions' waiver allowing refiners to purchase it removes friction, it does not define the country's policy, a senior government functionary said, dismissing opposition charges.
Russian oil continued to flow into India even after the US objected to it and imposed sanctions, the functionary said, citing a 2013 adjustment done by the then Congress government in oil imports under US sanctions.
Amid the escalating conflict with Iran, the US on Thursday said it was issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.
The message from the Centre to every Indian household is clear that the country's fuel supply is fully secure. The government is continuously monitoring the situation and will act, as it always has, in the interest of every citizen, the government functionary said.
"No petrol pump has run dry in 12 years. What certain voices are calling a crisis is, in fact, the proof of preparation. India's energy governance has given us the insulation we need," the functionary said.
The US waiver of sanctions removes friction. It does not define India's policy, which is governed by the energy trilemma -- affordability, availability and sustainability -- for every Indian household, the functionary said.
India currently holds over 250 million barrels of crude oil and refined products -- 7 to 8 weeks of buffer -- distributed across strategic reserves, storage tanks, pipelines, terminal facilities and vessels already in transit to the country's ports.
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