The Journey of Russian Oil to India: Two Routes, One Backup And How Long It Takes

India increased its Russian oil imports by 90% in March amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade. The sharp rise came after a one-month US sanctions waiver allowed the purchase of Russian oil already in transit, helping stabilise supplies during the ongoing Iran conflict. Despite this, India’s overall oil imports fell nearly 15%, largely due to disruptions in energy flows from West Asia.The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, has significantly impacted India, as it is the shortest and fastest route for oil shipments. In response, India has leaned on its diversified sourcing strategy, with Russia emerging as a key supplier during the crisis. This shift has helped cushion the supply shock and keep energy flows steady.

However, unlike shipments through Hormuz, Russian oil takes longer to reach India, often travelling via two main maritime routes - one through the Suez Canal and another around the Cape of Good Hope - with transit times typically ranging between 25 to 45 days depending on the route and conditions.The route via the Strait of Hormuz is far shorter for India compared to Russian oil routes. Tankers from the Persian Gulf usually reach Indian ports in just 2–3 days, while shipments from Russia take around 10–24 days, depending on the route used.

How Russian Oil Travels to India

There are two main routes through which Russian oil reaches India. The main route starts from the Baltic Sea, especially the ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga. This route carries about 60–70% of Russia’s oil exports to India. The second important route begins at the Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea.

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Some smaller volumes also come from Russia’s northern and eastern ports like Murmansk and Nakhodka. The Baltic Route Primorsk and Ust-Luga are Russia’s key oil export hubs. In February, around 20 million barrels of oil were shipped from these ports to India, making up about 67% of total Russian supplies, according to Kpler.“These are the highest oil producing fields in Russia,” Navin Thakur, Director at Drewry Maritime Research told the Print.A shipment from the Baltic usually takes 25 to 30 days to reach India, said Nikhil Dubey, senior research analyst at Kpler.The journey is long. Tankers pass through the North Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, and the Red Sea before reaching India - covering nearly 7,000 nautical miles (about 13,000 km).Once in India, oil is unloaded either through offshore pipelines (called Single Point Moorings) or by transferring it to smaller ships that carry it to refineries.Major receiving ports include Sikka and Vadinar in Gujarat, Mangalore on the west coast, and Paradip in Odisha.If the Red Sea route becomes unsafe, like during Houthi attacks, ships take a longer route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. This adds about 15–20 extra days and increases costs, so it is used only when necessary.

The Black Sea Route

The second route starts from Novorossiysk in the Black Sea. From there, oil moves through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, and Red Sea to India.This journey is shorter - about 15 to 20 days and roughly 4,200 nautical miles.

In February, about 8.7 million barrels reached India through this route, making up around 30% of Russian oil supplies, according to Kpler.The route via the Strait of Hormuz is far shorter for India compared to Russian oil routes. Tankers from the Persian Gulf usually reach Indian ports in just 2–3 days, while shipments from Russia on an average take around 10–24 days, depending on the route used.