India's increased import of Russian oil led to a significant rise in the average sailing distance for crude oil tankers arriving in the country. Year-to-date, the average sailing distance grew by 10%, boosting total tonne miles by 8%, despite a 2% decline in overall volumes. Compared to 2021, this distance increased by 25%.

Indian buyers began ramping up oil imports from Russia in 2022 following sanctions on Russian oil exports by the EU and the US. As a result, Russia found new buyers, with India becoming the largest since mid-2023, consistently purchasing 35-40% of Russian seaborne crude oil exports.

As long as sanctions remain in place, the Russia-India trade is expected to continue at its current pace. However, the International Energy Agency predicted that India's oil demand will keep growing, while Russia's production is unlikely to increase. Consequently, India may need to seek additional suppliers to meet its rising energy needs.