No Russian oil expected in January, none come in the last three weeks: Reliance Industries

Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery, the largest in the world, is not expected to receive any oil from Russia in January 2026, and did not receive any Russian oil in the last three weeks, the company said in a statement.

This statement comes after the November 20, 2025, announcement by the company that it had halted the import of Russian oil for its export-oriented Special Economic Zone unit at Jamnagar. 

The company was responding to a news report that had alleged that shipments of Russian oil were approaching the Jamnagar refinery.

“Reliance Industries’s Jamnagar refinery has not received any cargo of Russian oil at its refinery in the past three weeks approx. and is not expecting any Russian crude oil deliveries in January.

India’s two private sector refiners — Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy — used to be the largest importers of Russian oil in India. However, Nayara, which has significant ownership by Russia’s Rosneft, was sanctioned by the European Union and United Kingdom, following which it drastically cut down on Russian oil imports. 

The issue of Russian oil imports by India is a sensitive one because of the 25% ‘penalty’ tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump levied in August 2025 on imports from India due to its imports of Russian oil. 

The latest official data from the government shows that India actually increased its Russian oil imports in November 2025 to 7.7 million tonnes, which is the highest in six months. This increased Russia’s share in India’s oil import basket to 35.1%. 

The statement by Reliance comes two days after U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday (January 4, 2026) said that India had cut its oil imports from Russia in recent months in an effort to “make him happy”, and to secure a trade deal with the U.S.. He simultaneously threatened that more tariffs could “come quickly” if India continues its purchases.