India's crude oil imports rose more than three per cent month-on-month in April to 20.08 million tonnes, government data showed.
On a yearly basis, crude oil imports slipped 4.3 per cent, from 20.99 million tonnes in April 2025, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell showed.
India is the third-largest importer and consumer of oil globally so the data is a key indicator of its demand.
Imports of crude oil products fell over 40 per cent on a yearly basis to 2.34 million tonnes in April, while product exports declined about 14.6 per cent to 3.45 million tonnes.
Since the start of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, global energy prices have climbed, driven by continued disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz which normally carries a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Industry sources said Indian refiners have secured enough crude to meet their needs through at least August after increasing purchases from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and other sellers in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the country is expected to see less growth in gasoline and diesel demand this year after price hikes last month to reflect higher oil costs, with early signs of stress visible in the trucking sector.
(Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)