The United States and India have held “productive” discussions on trade, with Washington claiming that Indian refiners have begun reducing their imports of Russian oil by 50 percent.

However, Indian industry sources said such a reduction has yet to be observed, noting that any change would likely appear in import data for December or January. Refiners, they said, had already committed to crude shipments for November loading, some of which are scheduled to arrive in December.

The sources added that the Indian government has not issued any directive instructing refiners to curb purchases from Russia. Both India’s oil ministry and several state-run and private refiners that regularly buy Russian crude declined to comment on the reported reduction.

The claim comes amid heightened US diplomatic engagement with India over energy trade and geopolitical alignment, as Washington continues to pressure Moscow by targeting its oil revenues following the invasion of Ukraine.

India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of discounted Russian crude since 2022, using it to offset high global oil prices and support domestic fuel demand. The reported cut, if realized, would mark a significant shift in India’s energy procurement strategy and could alter trade flows in Asia’s oil market.