Rubix Data Sciences reported that the value of India’s crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia fell from $2.8 billion in April to $0.9 billion in June. The analysis drew on trade records that captured shifting procurement patterns amid disruptions in West Asian shipping lanes. Kpler shipment tracking data has shown parallel reductions in Gulf supplies during the period as refiners adjusted to conflicts affecting the Strait of Hormuz.
India Shipping News detailed the Rubix Data Sciences findings in its coverage of energy trade flows. ET Now figures placed India’s overall crude import bill at $15.37 billion in April with Saudi Arabia holding a 16.6 percent share of volumes at an average price of $119 per barrel. The subsequent drop in Saudi import value aligned with broader recalibrations that elevated Russia’s position as the dominant supplier.
A joint Rubix Data Sciences and Vayana TradeXchange assessment from April noted that the West Asia region supplied around 46 percent of India’s crude requirements in FY2025. That exposure left import bills vulnerable to price swings in which every $10 per barrel increase added an estimated $13 billion to $14 billion annually to costs. The June contraction in Saudi purchases formed part of efforts to mitigate such risks through wider sourcing.
Kpler data compiled for Economic Times reporting indicated Saudi Arabia supplied 685,000 barrels per day in April while the UAE contributed 575,000 barrels per day through alternative routing via the ADCOP pipeline to Fujairah. No shipments arrived from Iraq that month despite its historical role as a major supplier. Indian refiners compensated with resumed purchases from Iran at 130,000 barrels per day and from Venezuela at 290,000 barrels per day.
Rubix Data Sciences has tracked similar volatility in its year-end reviews which recorded merchandise imports rising 4.6 percent in the first 11 months of 2025 while the trade deficit widened. The firm’s analysis linked sustained West Asia tensions to higher freight insurance and delivery timelines that influenced procurement decisions through mid-2026. Commerce ministry statistics cited in separate reports showed West Asia trade contracting more than 28 percent in April alone.
Further Rubix Data Sciences data highlighted that cumulative FDI from West Asia reached $31.7 billion with remittances from the GCC constituting 37.9 percent of total inflows in FY2025. These economic linkages have amplified the impact of energy trade shifts on broader bilateral relations. Industry trackers continue to monitor monthly volumes for signs of stabilisation as alternative maritime arrangements mature.
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