US and Russia Engage in Energy Battle for India

India's growing energy requirements have become a battleground for the US and Russia as both countries vie for a larger share of the world's third-largest energy market.

According to recent data, Russia has emerged as India's largest crude supplier, accounting for more than 50% of the country's oil imports in June and July, and nearly 43% in August so far. The US, on the other hand, has become India's top supplier of LPG, which is used as a primary cooking fuel in the country.

Experts say that replacing Russian crude with US or Venezuelan crude would be 'challenging' for New Delhi due to supply constraints and logistical issues. Indian refiners are configured to process medium and heavier crude, while US crude is of a 'relatively light' variety.

The US has been pushing India to buy more oil from Venezuela, which has seen its imports rise from zero in March to 383,000 barrels per day so far in August. Together with US crude imports, these two sources accounted for about 11% of India's crude imports over that period.