Kathmandu. India has given a clear indication that it will continue to import Russian crude oil amid heightened uncertainty in global energy markets due to the escalating war in the Middle East.

New Delhi has maintained that it does not require the permission of any country to buy Russian oil, the Indian government said on Saturday.

The U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks in the Gulf have had a major impact on international energy and shipping. This has sharply raised oil prices globally and added uncertainty to supply chains.

Meanwhile, the United States on Thursday temporarily delayed economic sanctions against Russia and allowed India to sell Russian oil that has been stuck at sea. The decision was believed to have paved the way for India to buy Russian oil.

However, the Indian government has made it clear that it is not dependent on such exemptions. In a statement, the government’s Press Information Bureau said that India does not need permission from any country to buy Russian oil. India continued to import Russian oil in February 2026 and is still the largest supplier of crude oil to India, the statement said.

In February, Washington lifted a 25 percent tariff on Indian oil after it was reported that New Delhi had pledged to stop buying Russian oil. The move was linked to an interim trade agreement.

But the purported commitment was not included in the joint statement. The Indian government has also not explicitly confirmed or denied whether it has promised to stop buying Russian oil. New Delhi has said that its energy policies are based on national interests.

The government has stated that the country has sufficient reserves of crude oil and petroleum products. According to the statement, India has about 250 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum reserves, which will help in dealing with short-term supply disruptions.

However, as prices rise in the global market, the price of some energy products in India has started to be affected. The government on Saturday increased the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by seven percent.

The price of crude oil is increasing rapidly in the world market. On Friday, the price of oil was 8 percent. It was up 5 percent. Oil prices have surged nearly 30% over the week as US President Donald Trump said Iran’s “unconditional surrender” could end the Middle East war.

At the same time, India has also started efforts to increase LPG production. Earlier this week, India’s petroleum ministry directed the country’s refineries to ramp up production using propane and butane streams.

According to data intelligence company Kepler, India is the world’s second largest buyer of LPG. More than 90 per cent of India’s LPG supply comes from the Middle East, which could have a direct impact on India’s energy market.