India will not rush into signing any trade agreements and will reject conditions from partner countries that restrict its trading choices, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Friday.
The country is negotiating a long-pending free trade agreement with the European Union, with differences remaining over market access, environmental standards and rules of origin.
Trade talks with the United States, which has imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports, and several other countries are also underway.
Goyal said New Delhi would take a measured approach.
"India will not sign any trade deal in a hurry," Goyal said while speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue during an official visit, referring to European concerns over India's continued purchases of Russian oil.
The EU, the United Kingdom and the United States are pressuring New Delhi to reduce imports of discounted Russian crude, arguing that such purchases help fund Moscow's war in Ukraine.
India has long defended its energy purchases as essential for ensuring affordable supplies and energy security, but Indian refiners are now poised to sharply curtail imports of Russian oil to comply with new US sanctions on two major Russian producers.
India’s oil imports from Russia
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russia’s top oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, threatening India’s 36 percent reliance on Russian crude this year.
Indian refiners warn the move could halt imports entirely, as the sanctions specifically target Russia’s largest oil suppliers.
Since 2023, Russia has been India’s largest crude supplier, replacing Middle Eastern sources after the G7’s $60-per-barrel price cap, designed to limit Moscow’s profits globally.
Some exceptions may persist, including Nayara Energy, backed by Rosneft, which continues limited imports under EU sanctions, reports say.
Scheduled November–December deliveries may now shift to alternative sources, while spot negotiations for Urals cargoes have slowed sharply since mid-October.
