Russia Redirects Oil Supply to India Amid Ongoing War Impact

India is sharply raising purchases of discounted Russian crude, with several tankers switching destinations mid-voyage from China to India. Vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows at least seven ships altering course in recent weeks, highlighting a shift in Asia’s crude flows during ongoing Middle East tensions.

Indian refiners moved quickly after the United States granted temporary flexibility for higher Russian imports, aimed at softening the impact of the Iran conflict on global supplies. Within a week of that concession, buyers in India reportedly locked in close to 30 million barrels of Russian crude.

India’s demand drives Russian oil diversion from China

Shipping analytics firm Vortexa Ltd. recorded multiple Russia-origin tankers abandoning earlier routes to Chinese ports and turning towards India instead. Traders told Bloomberg that cargoes first marketed for Chinese refiners are now being secured by Indian buyers, who are keen to rebuild stockpiles at lower prices.

One of the clearest examples is the Aframax-class tanker Aqua Titan, carrying Urals crude loaded at a Baltic Sea port. The ship initially listed Rizhao in China as its destination, then altered course in Southeast Asia around mid-March and is now expected at New Mangalore on March 21.

Geopolitics, energy security and Russian oil buying

For India, the combination of discounted Russian barrels and geopolitical room to continue such trade offers a chance to shore up energy security. Officials and companies are using the current window to strengthen crude reserves and protect domestic fuel availability against possible supply shocks.

The wider backdrop remains tense, with the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran unsettling major West Asian shipping lanes. Analysts say that if India keeps outbidding China for diverted Russian barrels, these buying patterns could gradually reshape regional crude trade flows across Asia.