NEW DELHI: India will continue to diversify its energy imports, with all sourcing decisions guided by national interest, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday. His remarks come amid controversy over US President Donald Trump’s statement that India would stop buying Russian crude as part of a trade deal with Washington.
Addressing questions on India’s energy commitments, Misri emphasised that affordability, availability, and supply security remain the core drivers of the country’s energy policy. “What I can firmly and confidently say is that whether it is the government or indeed our businesses, at the end of the day, national interests will be the guiding factor in our choices,” he said.
Highlighting India’s strategy of diversification, Misri added: “Our approach is to maintain multiple sources of supply and diversify them as appropriate to ensure stability. Therefore, the more diversified we are in this area, the more secure we are.”
Misri noted that India imports 80–85% of its oil and gas needs, making price stability critical for a developing economy. “It is therefore unsurprising that our foremost priority is to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers regarding energy, to ensure they receive adequate energy at the right price and through reliable and secure supplies. Our import policy in the energy sector is entirely driven by these objectives,” he said.
He further explained that actual sourcing decisions are made by public and private oil companies based on availability, risk, costs, and logistical considerations. “You will continue to see business choices being made on these factors,” Misri said. “In fact, India is not only one of the largest consumers of energy but also plays an important role as a stabilising factor in global energy markets, which is why we import energy from multiple sources.”
“So, as I mentioned earlier, the key drivers of our energy policy are adequate availability, fair pricing, and reliability of supply. If you look at the data—you are surely reviewing it constantly—you will see that we import crude oil from dozens of countries,” he added.