India's Middle East Oil Imports Surge to 2.8 Million BPD as Russian Purchases Slide

India's crude oil imports from the Middle East rose 32% month-on-month in September to 2.8 million barrels per day, capturing 54% of total intake. Middle Eastern producers eased supply bottlenecks by ramping up shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Concurrently, Indian refiners cut Russian crude purchases by 14% to 1.8 million bpd, reducing Russia's share from 46.6% in August to 33.5%. The change reflects narrowing discounts on Russian crude to $1-$2 against Brent alongside competition from Chinese buyers, while India's total crude imports expanded 20% to 5.33 million bpd.