EFE.– Venezuela has become the fourth-largest supplier of oil to India in May and April, behind Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia, at a time when the Asian country’s energy security is under pressure due to the war in the Middle East.
India imported 319.2 thousand barrels per day (kbd) of Venezuelan crude so far in May, an increase of 13.9% compared to the previous month, according to figures shared with EFE by consultancy Kpler on Tuesday.
Before this April, India had not imported oil from Venezuela since May 2025.
The United States has presented Venezuelan oil as an alternative to Russian crude, after Washington captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and took control of the country’s oil sales.
Russia, which had already been the main source of oil for India, nearly doubled its exports to the country after the start of the war, boosted by a temporary suspension of U.S. sanctions on the purchase of Russian fuel.
Although the United States extended this exemption until mid-June, the administration of Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured New Delhi to suspend purchases of Russian crude.
Last Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he wants to sell India “as much energy as they are willing to buy,” and added that “there are opportunities with Venezuelan oil.”
The outbreak of war in the Middle East at the end of February has put fuel supply under strain in the world’s most populous country: before the conflict, India imported around 90% of its oil, with nearly half arriving through the now-congested Strait of Hormuz.
The Indian government has urged citizens to save fuel and has begun searching for alternative suppliers, importing crude from unusual sources such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Algeria, and Iran in recent months.
