India has significantly increased its crude oil imports from the United States since President Donald Trump began his second term in office, sources familiar with trade data reported. This surge marks a notable shift in India’s energy procurement strategy, with imports rising by more than half compared to the previous year.

Government sources revealed that between January and June 2025, India boosted its imports of US crude by 51%, reaching 0.271 million barrels per day (mb/d) compared to 0.18 mb/d during the same period in 2024. The April-June 2025 quarter saw an even sharper increase of 114% year-on-year, while the financial value of these imports more than doubled—from $1.73 billion in Q1 2024-25 to $3.7 billion in Q1 2025-26.

The momentum has continued through the summer months, with July 2025 imports rising 23% compared to June 2025. The US share of India’s overall crude imports also grew from 3% to 8% in July. Sources suggest Indian companies are expected to increase their US crude imports by 150% during the 2025-26 financial year.

Beyond crude oil, India has also sharply raised imports of other energy products from the US. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports nearly doubled to $2.46 billion in 2024-25 from $1.41 billion in the previous year, and discussions are underway for a major long-term LNG contract worth tens of billions of dollars.

The surge in energy trade highlights the strengthening ties between the two nations. On Friday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed confidence in the resilience of the India-US relationship. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that the partnership, anchored in shared interests and democratic values, continues to thrive despite global uncertainties.

Energy cooperation has emerged as a crucial pillar in the expanding India-US strategic relationship, which both countries aim to deepen in the coming years.