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Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday denied that India was under any pressure to stop buying Russian oil. Indian refiners would purchase crude from suppliers offering the most competitive prices as the country prioritises energy security amid global market uncertainties, he said. India was not particularly buying Russian oil at present, but the decisions in this regard were guided by commercial considerations rather than pressure from any country, he added. "I have never any felt pressure," Puri said during an interaction at the 29th Energy Technology and Innovation Meet which began here on Tuesday. "At the point of negotiation, whoever is supplying a particular grade, we will buy from them. Prices come down sometimes," he said. The minister's remarks come amid international scrutiny of India's purchases of Russian crude, and Western efforts to curb Moscow's oil revenues following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Referring to the restrictions imposed on two Russia
An India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, Jag Vikram, has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such transit by an Indian vessel since a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced, according to ship-tracking data. The tanker moved through the strategic waterway between Friday night and Saturday morning and was located in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Strait on Saturday afternoon, proceeding eastwards. Jag Vikram is the ninth Indian vessel to exit the Persian Gulf since early March, while about 15 India-flagged ships remain in the region, awaiting passage. Owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, Jag Vikram is a mid-sized gas carrier with a deadweight capacity of over 26,000 tonnes. Trade sources estimate it could be carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG. At least 28 India-flagged vessels were in the Strait of Hormuz region when the West Asia conflict erupted, including 24 on the western side and four on the east