Indian refiners’ crude throughput rose by 6.8% month-on-month in October to 5.50 million barrels per day (22.50 million metric tons), provisional government data showed.

Refinery throughput in September was at 5.15 million barrels per day (21.07 million metric tons).

On a year-on-year basis, refinery throughput gained 5.6% in October.

India’s fuel consumption hit a five-month high in October, with demand rising 7.7% from September to 20.17 million metric tons, oil ministry data showed on Friday.

India’s crude oil imports rose nearly 9% in October to 20.28 million metric tons month-on-month, their highest level since April, government data showed on Thursday.

The country is the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer.

Indian refiners had paused purchases of Russian oil after Washington sanctioned two major Russian crude exporters, as they awaited government guidance and sought spot-market alternatives, industry sources said in late October.

On October 22, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft ROSN.

However, top refiner Indian Oil Corp IOC then bought five cargoes of Russian oil for December delivery from non-sanctioned entities, traders said, despite U.S. pressure on New Delhi to curb imports.

India’s crude oil imports from Russia are expected to have risen slightly in October from a month earlier, according to preliminary ship-tracking data from Kpler and OilX.

India became the top buyer of seaborne Russian crude after Moscow’s 2022 invasion, importing 1.9 million bpd in the first nine months of 2025, about 40% of Russia’s exports, according to the International Energy Agency.

Please note that CPCL’s CBR refinery is de-commissioned under shutdown due to limitation in meeting required product specifications with the existing configuration.
Source: Reuters