Energy ‘vulnerable’ India seeks U.S. help to produce more oil and wean itself off Russia, Middle East reliance amid geopolitical turmoil

Anil Agarwal, founder and chairman of Vedanta Group, at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas, US, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. The event convenes more than 10,000 participants from over 2,350 companies across 89 countries for dialogue on the agenda ahead as the world enters a new era of energy transition. Photographer: Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Credit: Aaron M. Sprecher—Bloomberg/Getty Images)

India imports nearly 90% of its crude oil—largely from Russia and the Middle East. With geopolitical trouble making both of those sources less reliable and leaving it vulnerable, the world’s most populous country is inviting more foreign investment to help it boost its domestic oil and gas supply, a top energy executive from India told Fortune.

While India is acquiring more alternative supplies to help it ride out the war in Iran, it typically imports most of its oil from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Russia. At present, those Russian barrels are flowing only under a temporary waiver from the U.S., after President Trump had used higher tariffs to get India to stop buying from Russia.