Russia continued to be India's largest supplier of crude oil in August 2026, even as the volume of Russian crude imported by India declined from the previous month.
At the same time, the United States was the biggest supplier of both liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in India during the month, according to the maritime intelligence company Kpler.
The figures show how India's energy import basket is changing, as Russia is still leading crude oil and the US has taken hold of India's gas supplies.
Russia is still India's largest crude supplier
India imported around 2.1 million barrels per day of Russian crude in August, according to Kpler data reported by Business Standard.
Though this was significantly less than the record levels seen in June and July, Russia still accounted for more than 40% of India's crude imports and remained the country's biggest crude supplier.
Other major crude suppliers include Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The decline in Russian crude imports was driven by lower Russian export availability and competition from Chinese refiners. Maintenance shutdowns at some Indian refineries also contributed to India's overall crude intake.
As the US becomes the top LPG supplier
While Russia dominated India's crude oil imports, the US continued to lead in LPG supplies.
In August, US LPG shipments to India stood at around 719,300 tonnes, according to Kpler data. Although this was down from July, the US was still India’s largest LPG supplier.
The transition is partly the result of disruptions that affect Gulf suppliers.
The US had already overtaken Gulf countries as India’s largest LPG supplier in July, when it shipped more than 912,000 tonnes to India.
In August, Gulf suppliers started recovering some of their market share. But the US remained ahead.
US also leads India's LNG imports
The United States also emerged as India's largest LNG supplier in August.
India imported around 858,500 tonnes of LNG from the US, accounting for nearly 35% of India's total LNG imports in the month.
Nigeria was the second largest LNG supplier, providing around 540,700 tonnes, and Oman provided about 525,000 tonnes.
One of the biggest changes was the sharp drop in supplies from Qatar, which had been one of India's largest LNG partners. Kpler data shows no LNG came from Qatar in August, in the face of disruption to the wider West Asian energy market.
Why is India's energy import pattern changing?
The changing supplier rankings are closely connected to disruptions in the West Asian energy market.
India traditionally relies heavily on Gulf countries for LPG and LNG. But the disruption of shipping routes and supply chains have led Indian energy companies to look for other sources.
The US has hence become more important in India's gas imports while Russian crude continues to be a major part of India's oil supply.
India’s strategy is also being influenced by keeping energy security at the forefront and having enough supplies to feed on the market despite geopolitical uncertainty.
Russian crude imports drop but remain significant.
The decline in Russian crude imports does not mean India has moved away from Russian oil.
Russia's share of India's crude imports fell to about 45% in August from about 56% in July, according to the Kpler-based data. Russian crude imports fell about 26% month-on-month to roughly 2.08 million barrels per day.
Indian refiners have also increased purchases from Venezuela, Iraq, the UAE, Angola, and Kuwait.
This suggests that India is gradually diversifying its crude supply even as Russia remains the country's biggest source.
What this means for India?
The import data also show India's energy imports are becoming more diversified.
Russia is still crucial for crude oil, and the US is becoming increasingly important for LPG and LNG. At the same time, India continues to buy from suppliers in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
India needs multiple suppliers to minimize the risks of depending too much on one region or one country.
But disruptions of shipping routes, higher freight costs, and changes in global energy prices can still affect the cost of importing these fuels.
The latest figures thus point to a changing energy map for India: Russia continues to dominate crude oil supplies, while the US has strengthened its position in LPG and LNG.
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