DOMINANT ANGLE
New Delhi weighs the tariff risk in dollars and market share, highlighting the $40.8 billion of Russian crude imported in 2026 rather than an abstract principle of energy sovereignty.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The foreign ministry stated that India remains "firmly committed" to ensuring the energy security of its 1.4 billion inhabitants and will take "all necessary measures" to protect its trade interests (spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, September 17).
- 02
Russia supplied 30.3% of India's crude oil imports in fiscal year 2026, totaling $40.8 billion out of a total bill of $134.7 billion, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).
- 03
The Lindsey O. Graham bill, passed 262-159 in the House after an 86-11 vote in the Senate, targets the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas but does not automatically impose 100% tariffs.
ANALYSIS
New Delhi, September 18, 2026. The US House of Representatives adopted the Lindsey O. Graham bill on sanctions against Russia and Iran on Wednesday, September 16, by 262 votes to 159, which was already voted on by the Senate by 86 votes to 11. The text, named after the Republican senator who died in July, now heads to Donald Trump's desk and authorizes the president to impose customs duties of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas — without triggering them automatically. An exemption is provided for countries that import less than 15% of their gas from Russia and reduce these purchases.
For New Delhi, the stakes are measured in dollars. According to the think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), Russia supplied 30.3% of India's crude oil imports in the 2026 fiscal year, totaling $40.8 billion out of a total bill of $134.7 billion. In July, Russian crude accounted for more than half of the country's imports, far ahead of the United Arab Emirates (10.8%), Saudi Arabia (9.6%), Venezuela (6.3%), Brazil (5.5%), Oman (5.3%), and the United States (2.9%) combined. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), India absorbed 37% of Russia's crude oil exports between December 2022 and August 2026, behind China (half) and ahead of Turkey and the EU (5% each).
On Thursday, September 17, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded through its spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal: India remains "firmly committed" to ensuring the energy security of its 1.4 billion inhabitants and will take "all necessary measures" to protect its trade interests. The ministry specifies that the subject has already been "discussed at a high level" with American interlocutors, and that its implications for the bilateral relationship as well as the international energy market have been "very clearly exposed" from the Indian side.
The Indian press emphasizes that the measure is not automatic: Trump will have to decide, country by country, whether or not to activate the customs duties. An earlier version of the text, in July, envisioned tariffs of up to 500% targeting India, China, Turkey, and Singapore, among ten countries. Beijing, also exposed, has rejected the text, denouncing "extraterritorial jurisdiction" without a mandate from the UN Security Council.
SOURCES (3)
- SwarajyaMEDIUM
- Free Press JournalMEDIUM
