India will continue to buy oil from wherever it gets the “best deal” and take all measures necessary to safeguard its national interests, despite the United States’ decision to impose higher tariffs on Indian goods, Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar said in an interview with Russian news agency TASS.
Kumar termed Washington’s move to raise duties on Indian imports by 25 per cent — taking the total levy to 50 per cent as a penalty for New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil — “unfair, unreasonable and unjustified,” ANI reports.
“Our objective is the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India, and cooperation with Russia as with several other countries has helped stabilise the global oil market. So the US decision is unfair, unreasonable and unjustified,” Kumar added.
He said that Indian companies will continue sourcing oil on commercial terms. “If the basis of commercial transaction trade imports are right, Indian companies will continue buying from wherever they get the best deal,” he stated.
A deal in India’s interest
The Ambassador also pointed out that other nations, including the US and European countries, continue to engage in trade with Russia, stressing that India’s trade with Moscow is guided by market factors and mutual interests.The comments come after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar criticised Washington’s tariff move at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2025, calling it “unjustified and unreasonable” and reiterating that India would not compromise on the interests of its farmers and small producers.
Kumar said India and Russia face no hurdles in settling oil trade payments, noting that both sides are using national currencies for transactions. Beyond energy, he highlighted India’s intent to expand exports to Russia in sectors such as electronics, automobiles, construction materials, textiles, and IT products, while also improving services trade, including financial and digital services.
“India’s exports to Russia have grown, but they are still far below potential,” Kumar said, adding that transportation and related infrastructure would be another focus area for boosting bilateral trade.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also rejected Washington’s tariff hike, saying New Delhi will take “all actions necessary to protect its national interests”.
