Merchandise imports from Russia fall 5.54%
Overall, India’s imports by value stood at $306.52 billion in April-August 2025 compared to $300.11 billion in the corresponding period last year, registering 2.14% growth.
India’s merchandise imports from Russia declined 5.54% to $26.46 billion in the first five months of the current financial year, bringing the country’s second-largest supplier close to being overtaken by the United Arab Emirates, government data showed.
Russia was the only country among India’s top five import sources to register a decline, with all other major suppliers posting robust growth of 8% or more year-on-year. The country’s imports from Russia dropped from $28.01 billion in the corresponding period last year.
Overall, India’s imports by value stood at $306.52 billion in April-August 2025 compared to $300.11 billion in the corresponding period last year, registering 2.14% growth.
The UAE, with imports worth $26.40 billion, trails Russia by a mere $60 million in India’s import rankings for April-August 2025. China remains the dominant top supplier at $51.57 billion, followed by Russia, the UAE, the United States ($21.61 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($12.39 billion) in fifth position.
China strengthened its position as India’s largest import partner with a surge of over 10% from $46.80 billion in April-August 2024. The UAE recorded 9.18% growth compared to $24.18 billion in the previous fiscal’s corresponding period.
Imports from the US rose 8.54% from $19.91 billion, whilst Saudi Arabia registered 7.68% growth from $11.50 billion in the same period of the previous financial year.
The trade patterns underscore India’s energy dependence, with four of its five largest suppliers—Russia, UAE, US, and Saudi Arabia—being substantial energy exporters to the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Only China offers a diversified import basket.
The details of how volumes of specific commodity imports may have risen or dipped across sources were not available but the change comes at a time of western consternation about India’s imports of oil from Russia over Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.
The government has defended the imports, urging the need to keep development and energy security goals separate from geopolitical arithmetic.
Detailed commodity data by value for April-July 2025 reveals stark contrasts in import compositions. China’s supplies are technology-driven, with electronics, telecommunications and computer hardware leading at $11.7 billion, followed by chemicals ($1.7 billion) and batteries ($1.16 billion).
Russia’s exports remain energy-centric, with petroleum crude dominating at $16.2 billion, supplemented by petroleum products ($1.93 billion) and coal derivatives ($1.32 billion). Non-energy items include fertilisers ($774 million), vegetable oils ($387 million), and project goods ($278 million).
The UAE supplied petroleum and petroleum products worth $8.53 billion alongside chemicals ($3.27 billion) and gold ($2.09 billion).
American exports featured petroleum crude ($4.81 billion), coal products ($1.21 billion), petroleum products ($1.10 billion), and a diverse portfolio including electronic components ($836 million), precious stones ($504 million), fresh fruits ($495 million), electrical machinery ($493 million), organic chemicals ($448 million), computer hardware ($426 million), and other commodities ($418 million).
Saudi Arabia’s contribution mirrors other Gulf suppliers, with petroleum crude ($6.72 billion) and petroleum products ($820 million) leading, complemented by fertilisers ($630 million), organic chemicals ($392 million), plastic raw materials ($379 million), and copper products ($152 million).
