New Delhi, July 20 -- India's crude oil import bill surged to nearly $50 billion in the June quarter, a 60% jump from a year earlier, as the war in West Asia ended discounts that once cushioned the country's energy costs.

The world's third-largest oil importer paid $49.8 billion for crude in the April-June period, government data showed, even as the volume of oil bought fell to around 60 million tonnes from 62.6 million tonnes a year ago. The gap between rising costs and falling volumes underscores how much of the increase is being driven by price rather than demand.

Brent crude touched a five-week high of $90 per barrel on Monday, adding pressure on an import bill that already represents 40% of India's FY26 oil purchases. "Along with i...