New Delhi, Dec. 26 -- Western sanctions are steadily reshaping India's oil trade, reducing its dependence on discounted Russian crude and redirecting energy flows towards the United States and the United Arab Emirates, according to a report by Rubix Data Sciences.

India's crude oil imports from Russia declined 17.8% during January-October 2025 compared to the same period last year, as tighter European Union (EU) restrictions and expanded US secondary sanctions increased compliance risks for Indian refiners, the report The Year That Tested Trade: How India Fared in 2025 said.

The shift marks a departure from the post-Ukraine invasion period, when India emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian oil after Western nations imposed sanc...