BRICS
March 9, 2026
India russian oil became a geopolitical talking point this weekend after New Delhi responded to a US sanctions waiver with a statement that was anything but diplomatic. According to a Times of India report, India’s Press Information Bureau made clear that the country never needed a US waiver to keep buying Russian crude. With india oil imports Russia hitting record levels and BRICS oil trade reshaping global energy flows, the message was pointed: Washington doesn’t get a say in New Delhi’s energy decisions.
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India’s Oil Autonomy and the BRICS Shift in Global Energy Flows
India Rejects the Framing of the US Waiver
The India US waiver was issued by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who framed it as a logistical measure for oil stranded at sea amid West Asia supply disruptions. Bessent stated:
India wasn’t buying the framing. The government’s response was direct:
“India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil.”
The statement also noted that Russia remained India’s largest crude oil supplier as of February 2026, a fact that makes the India US waiver feel more like a face-saving gesture than any real policy shift.
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What This Means for India Russian Oil and BRICS Energy Trade
The waiver came after months of US tariff pressure on Indian goods, widely seen as an attempt to push Modi’s government away from Russian crude India has been importing at discounted rates since 2022. None of it worked. As previously covered, India’s position within BRICS has consistently shielded it from Western energy pressure, and the india oil imports Russia numbers reflect that. The BRICS oil trade kept growing around Western sanctions rather than stopping because of them.
Bessent has also signaled the Trump administration is now considering lifting sanctions on more Russian oil entirely, which would validate everything India has been doing. For now, the india russian oil story is a clear reminder that BRICS-aligned economies are writing their own energy rules.
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