India’s Crude Bill Jumps $28.7 Billion as Import Volumes Barely Move
ENERGY • TRADE • MACROECONOMY A price shock, not a buying surge, drove the first-half rise. The exposure now runs from the trade balance and currency to fuel-sensitive businesses and household costs. By Biz Masala Desk | 19 October 2026 Illustrative AI-generated editorial image. The scene is not a documentary photograph of a specific shipment or facility. $90.6bn Crude import bill, Apr–Sep 2026 +46.3% Year-on-year increase 88.1% Crude import dependence India spent $90.6 billion on crude oil imports in April–September 2026, $28.7 billion more than a year earlier. The volume purchased barely changed. Imports reached 122.7 million metric tonnes, up from 121.8 million tonnes in the same six months of 2025–26. The gap between those movements points to the main driver: a much higher price tag for broadly similar volumes. [1] The figures, compiled by the Petroleum Planning and Analysis...