Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said that many questions were left unanswered in the Parliament by the Industries and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the India-US trade deal.
India's crude oil import bill could decline by up to USD 3 billion annually if the country shifts a portion of its crude sourcing from Russia to Venezuelan heavy crude, according to a new report by State Bank of India (SBI) Research.
The deal involves reducing reciprocal tariffs from 25% to 18% and eliminating the additional 25% duty on Russian oil imports into India. India has also agreed to increase imports from the US by $500 billion, covering sectors like energy, technology, agriculture, and defence.
Following President Donald Trump's announcement of a US-India trade deal cutting tariffs to 18%, Partner Asia Group Nisha Biswal Nisha Biswal highlighted deeper cooperation, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the move amid India's expanding engagement with Western partners.
"I don't know the implications. I don't know what understanding has arrived at between India and the United States. We should buy oil wherever it's available, whether it's Russia, Venezuela, or whatever," Chidambaram told ANI.
Addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, he said, "China is welcome to come in and make a great deal on oil. We've already made a deal. India is coming in, and they're going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So, we've already made the concept of the deal."
The Economic Survey 2026 has highlighted a notable increase in terms of imports of crude oil from the United States (US) as compared to Russia in the Financial Year 2026 (April-November).
Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), A S Sahney, said that Indian refineries are "robust" and can process Venezuelan crude if it becomes available.
Trump asserted that his administration is working closely with Caracas and claimed that large volumes of Venezuelan oil are already entering the United States as part of the engagement.
With US President Donald Trump "greenlighting" a bill that would impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries for buying Russian oil, GTRI said in a report on Thursday that any such tariff would effectively shut down India's goods and services exports to the United States, now exceeding USD 120
Commenting on the BJP leader's silence over Trump's statement, Owaisi said, "The BJP people get scared the moment Trump's name comes up. It has been 24 hours, and they have gone completely mute. Say something at least! When will you speak up?"