The UAE now supplies between 15 and 20 per cent of India's total energy imports, India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Neeraj Mittal said on Thursday, underscoring the Gulf nation's growing role as New Delhi navigates a volatile global oil market. According to the figures Mittal cited, the UAE accounts for 15 per cent of India's crude oil imports, 25 per cent of its imported LPG and 10 per cent of its imported LNG.

India now sources crude from 43 countries, Mittal said, as its reliance on imported crude climbed above 90 per cent in the 2026 fiscal year, up sharply from 55 per cent in 1999. He pointed to sharp swings in Brent crude, which has risen more than 45 per cent since the Iran war began and briefly touched $126 a barrel in April, saying volatility concerns him more than the absolute price level. Brent was trading near $105 a barrel at the time of his remarks.

The comments come against a backdrop of deepening energy ties between the two countries. In May, Adnoc agreed to expand its crude storage capacity in India to 30 million barrels, a move that strengthened the bilateral energy partnership. India has also moved to diversify its own domestic supply, launching a $9 billion ultra-deep and deep-water oil exploration programme in July alongside a $2.5 billion waste-to-biogas initiative aimed at cutting import dependence over time.

At the same time, the makeup of India's energy imports is shifting on other fronts: US LPG now accounts for 67 per cent of India's total imported LPG, up from just 10 per cent at the start of the year, pointing to a broader push by New Delhi to diversify its supplier base even as the UAE remains one of its most important energy partners.