New Delhi: Russia’s share of India’s crude oil imports rose sharply in April 2026, accounting for nearly 38% of the country’s oil import bill and more than a third of import volumes, as higher global prices and increased purchases from Moscow pushed up both India’s dependence on Russian crude and the premium paid for it.According to an analysis published by The Hindu, Russia’s share of the value of India’s oil imports climbed to 37.7% in April, the highest level in 11 months. In volume terms, Russian crude accounted for 34.3% of India’s total crude imports during the month.Data from the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign trade statistics portal shows India imported Russian crude worth $5.79 billion in April 2026, up from $3.25 billion in March. In rupee terms, imports from Russia rose to Rs 54,179 crore in April from Rs 30,138 crore a month earlier.The value of Russian crude imports in April was the highest monthly level recorded since at least January 2025, according to the commerce ministry data.The Hindu reported that India’s overall crude oil imports rebounded to 195.3 lakh tonnes in April after falling to 158.5 lakh tonnes in March following the onset of the West Asia crisis. While import volumes increased by 23% month on month, the country’s crude oil import bill surged by more than 61% to $15.4 billion, reflecting the sharp rise in oil prices.Within that total, imports from Russia rose to nearly 67 lakh tonnes, up 27% from March, the newspaper said.The increase in purchases was accompanied by a sharp rise in the price India paid for Russian crude.According to The Hindu, India paid Russia an average of $864.9 per tonne for crude oil in April, compared with an average of $787.1 per tonne for all crude imports. The resulting premium of $77.8 per tonne was substantially higher than the $14.8 per tonne premium recorded in March.The newspaper calculated that the premium paid for Russian oil increased by about 425% between March and April.Commerce ministry data also indicate that Russia’s share of India’s crude import bill rose from 21.4% in January 2026 and 26.4% in February to 30.6% in March, before reaching 37.7% in April.At the same time, India’s reliance on crude oil from the United States declined. Citing ministry data, The Hindu reported that US crude accounted for just 2.9% of India’s oil import bill in April and 3.8% of import volumes, both eight-month lows.Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude, attracted initially by steep discounts. However, recent data suggest those discounts have disappeared and, in some cases, turned into premiums amid tightening global supplies and heightened geopolitical tensions in West Asia.The resurgence in Russian crude purchases comes amid a temporary US sanctions waiver regime introduced after the outbreak of the West Asia conflict. Washington first granted a one-month waiver in March allowing Russian oil already loaded on tankers to continue reaching international buyers. It was last extended for 30 days on May 18.The waivers have been particularly important for India, which had reduced Russian crude purchases earlier this year amid pressure from Washington and ongoing trade negotiations with the United States. However, the outbreak of the Iran war and the choking of the critical Strait of Hormuz prompted Indian refiners to step up purchases from Russia again.The future of the waiver that lapses on June 17, however, remains uncertain. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration would like to end the Russian oil waivers “as soon as we possibly can“, while emphasising that sanctions remain the underlying US policy. Rubio said the temporary extensions had been granted to ease disruptions in global energy markets.