NEW DELHI, India — The Indian government said on Friday it is closely monitoring a proposed U.S. bill that would sharply raise tariffs on countries buying energy products from Russia, stressing that the issue is being handled with “great care” amid concerns over energy security and price stability.
Responding to questions during a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi is aware of the proposed legislation, known as the “Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025,” which seeks to impose tariffs of at least 500 percent on countries importing oil and other energy products from Russia.
“The bill you are talking about, the proposed bill; we are aware of it. We have focused our attention on these issues and on this bill with great care,” Jaiswal said.
He reiterated that India’s approach to energy sourcing has been consistent and guided by long-standing policy principles. “As far as the question of energy sources is concerned, you are well aware of what our attitude is and what our approach is. On energy sourcing, our position has been clarified several times,” he said.
Jaiswal said India follows a broad and flexible approach when purchasing oil from different regions, driven by two key considerations. “It is based on two imperatives — one is the available or evolving global dynamics and two, the imperative to provide energy at affordable rates to our 1.4 billion people,” he said.
India has repeatedly stated that its oil and gas import policy is shaped entirely by consumer interests, particularly in the context of a volatile global energy market.
“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” the External Affairs Ministry said in an earlier statement. “Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.”
On energy ties with the United States, the ministry noted that India has been seeking to expand energy procurement from the U.S. for several years, with progress accelerating over the past decade.
“Where the U.S. is concerned, we have, for many years, sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” the statement said. (Source: IANS)
