US waiver unlocks Lukoil, Rosneft crude oil for India

Alternative routes for LPG, LNG supplies being explored: Officials

- SHUBHANGI MATHUR

The 30-day waiver granted by the US allowing India to import Russian oil applies to stranded crude oil directly sourced from the sanctioned Russian state-owned companies Rosneft and Lukoil, government officials have clarified. New Delhi is simultaneously exploring new sources for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that would avoid the Strait of Hormuz.

India is currently struggling to secure energy supplies from its traditional suppliers in West Asia because of the ongoing war in the region. The refiners in the country had refrained from purchasing Russian crude from the two producers since November 2025, when the US imposed sanctions on the entities, even though they previously accounted for about 60 per cent of Moscow’s oil supplies to India.