Russian oil supplies to India could rise sharply, potentially doubling from January levels to account for at least 40% of India’s total imports. (AI image)

As supply disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz continue due to the US-Iran war, India has stepped up its purchases of Russian crude oil. In fact, compared to the January levels, India’s procurement of Russian crude may actually double!Russian crude has once again taken centre stage amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, as disruptions in global supply through the Strait of Hormuz have made it difficult for Middle Eastern producers to ship oil, driving prices sharply higher. This has had a significant impact on India, which depends on imports for nearly 90% of its crude oil needs.Traditionally, India has sourced most of its crude from the Middle East, particularly Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, owing to geographical proximity, established contracts and reliable shipping routes.

Russian Crude Imports May Double!

India and Russia are moving to strengthen their energy ties, with discussions underway to enable Moscow to restart direct liquefied natural gas sales to India for the first time since the Ukraine conflict began.According to a Reuters report, decisions on energy ties took place on March 19 in Delhi between Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Both sides explored expanding crude oil trade. According to three people aware of the deliberations, Russian oil supplies to India could rise sharply, potentially doubling from January levels to account for at least 40% of India’s total imports within about a month!Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Russia had emerged as a major supplier, accounting for about 35–40% of India’s crude imports at one point. However, by early 2026, sanctions led to a decline in these purchases. However, the situation has shifted again in March 2026 after the Donald Trump administration introduced a 30-day waiver allowing the purchase of Russian crude in an effort to stabilise global oil prices. While India never completely stopped importing Russian oil, volumes had dropped sharply after sanctions were imposed on major Russian producers.

After Western sanctions following the Ukraine conflict limited Russia’s access to European markets, India increased its intake of Russian oil, attracted by discounted prices and compatibility with domestic refineries.Also Read | US-Iran war impact: India’s crude imports from Russia near all time highs; will such high numbers continue?This strategy helped lower import costs and diversify supply sources. However, towards the end of 2025 and into early 2026, India reduced purchases of Russian crude amid trade negotiations with the US and concerns over tariffs and sanctions. In August 2025, the US imposed a 25% tariff linked to India’s Russian oil imports, while sanctions on companies such as Lukoil and Rosneft further constrained procurement, leading to a gradual dip in volumes. That trend has now reversed.Data from Kpler indicates that India has already bought an estimated 45–50 million barrels of Russian crude since the onset of the Middle East conflict, with actual figures likely higher as April data is still pending. Current trends suggest that March imports could reach around 1.8 to 2.0 million barrels per day, marking one of the strongest months since India significantly increased purchases after the Ukraine war. This compares with earlier levels of about 1.0 million barrels per day.Historically, India’s peak monthly intake of Russian crude has been in the range of 2.0 to 2.1 million barrels per day since 2022. The latest surge indicates that imports are once again approaching those earlier highs, reversing the decline seen in recent months.

Residents look on as rescue workers search for bodies in the rubble of a residential building that was hit in an airstrike in Tehran

With almost a month into the West Asia conflict, people in Iran’s capital, Tehran, have started fearing for the worse. And ambiguous statements from Washington and threatening comments from Tel Aviv are adding to their predicament. Iranians living in India told TOI on Friday their dear ones back home have started moving out of the capital’s residential areas as there is a strong buzz among the population of a ground assault by the “enemy” in parts of their country in the coming days.“There is panic. People are deeply worried. No one knows whether the current talk of (ceasefire) talks would be fruitful or lead to some kind of a pause in air strikes by the US and Israel… Many families including mine, who live in Tehran, have started leaving their homes for ‘safer’ rural areas up north,” said Roya, an Iranian national.Living in Mumbai for the past few years with her husband, she added her family and friends are not waiting for the next 10 days (as announced by US president Donald Trump) before the US-Israel starts “something more offensive”. She said some of her family members have decided to move to their ancestral place in a quiet village far away from Tehran.Reza, an Iranian national living in Bangaluru for about four years, said residents have rationed groceries and essentials. “They have witnessed intense bombing and are scared,” he said.“We had learnt our lessons from the Iraq war. It was a part of culture in those days to collect rations, especially dry ones, for at least two months. As of now, there has been no food shortage in Tehran, but people there have stopped trusting Trump… We can see every night and day how our cities are being bombed. They can start a ground assault in my country any moment,” added Reza, whose family called him Thursday for “about two minutes”.“One major problem we are facing is the lack of connectivity,” Reza said. “Incoming calls into Iran from abroad are still not allowed…”However, govt of Iran has “relaxed communication blackouts by allowing video calls on social media apps”. “Thankfully, I managed to see the faces of my family via a video call on Bale App on Friday after almost a month. We couldn’t talk though, we only wept. Only God knows what will happen next,” said an Iranian woman in Delhi.

Noida International Airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive at Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (March 28, 2026), where he is expected to inaugurate the long-awaited Phase I of the highly anticipated Noida International Airport at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh.As per the official press release by PIB, the Prime Minister is expected to arrive at the airport site around 11:30 AM and take a walkthrough of the terminal building. Thereafter, at around 12 noon, the Prime Minister is expected to formally inaugurate the first phase of the airport and also address a public gathering on the occasion.

PIB Press Release

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also posted on this official account on X on March 27, “Tomorrow, 28th March is a day of immense importance for the people of Uttar Pradesh and the NCR. Phase I of Noida International Airport will be inaugurated. This will boost commerce and connectivity. It will ease congestion at the IGI Airport in Delhi. The Noida airport is among the key greenfield projects in our nation. In addition to passenger services, it will have a robust cargo ecosystem thus boosting the logistics sector.”

A major aviation milestone for NCR

The opening of the Noida International Airport has been regarded as a major step towards consolidating India’s standing as a leading hub for air travel around the world. It has been designed as a major international airport for the National Capital Region (NCR), and it is expected to work alongside the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.The two airports are expected to operate as a single system of air travel, with the aim of reducing congestion and raising the passenger-handling capability of the airports. It is also expected that the two-airport system would bring Delhi NCR into the ranks of the top international aviation hubs.

Infrastructure and capacity highlights

As per the press release, the Noida International Airport is one of the largest greenfield airport projects in India, developed on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The development of the airport has been completed in Phase I, with an estimated cost of around INR 11,200 crore.The airport will be able to handle around 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA) in its initial phase, but the capacity will be increased up to 70 MPPA during the full development of the project. The airport will have a 3,900-meter-long runway, capable of handling wide-body aircraft, along with the latest navigation aids such as Instrument Landing System (ILS) and airfield lighting for night landings.

Noida International Airport exterior

Boost to cargo and logistics

The most interesting aspect of the project is the integration of the cargo facilities. The proposed airport would have a multi-modal cargo hub with an integrated cargo terminal and logistics area, which would have the potential to handle more than 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of cargo in the initial phase. This is expected to increase manifold to 18 lakh metric tonnes in the future.The proposed airport would also have a separate 40-acre Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub to enhance the aviation services sector in the country.

Sustainability and connectivity focus

NEW DELHI: Pilots flying VVIPs, including Z-plus category SPG protectees, Lok Sabha speaker, Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson, cabinet ministers, Chief Justice of India, CMs and governors have now been empowered to put their foot down and refuse to fly if it is not safe to do so for any reason.Following the death of Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar and four others in a small plane crash this Jan, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Friday issued a new set of “guidelines for carriage of central, state and other dignitaries by aircraft”.“…flight crew (should not be) subjected to undue pressure for undertaking a flight which may impact safety of operations. Any last-minute changes to the planned flight due to VIP requirements should be coordinated through the organisation’s management only, and not directly with the crew,” the new rules said.Besides, the guidelines also said that only well-maintained planes or choppers, with last reported defects rectified, and very experienced pilots will operate such flights.Noting that VVIPs “use air travel frequently for electioneering and other purposes in (small) aircraft” and choppers, DGCA said, “Analysis of earlier accidents/incidents associated with aircraft operations to/from airstrips/temporary helipads and during election flying has often revealed violation of instructions and safety was jeopardised. It is essential that adequate measures are taken by all concerned to ensure the highest standards of safety for operation of such flights.”The move aimed at insulating pilots from pressure as politicians often insist on flying for public meetings, even in fading light.A charter operator for decades said, “These new rules make it possible for us to say no to VIPs to operate flights if it is not safe to do so. In my several years, I have myself gotten into trouble for pointing out it may not be safe to operate due any reason like weather. Now while we are responsible for aircraft maintenance and getting landing approvals, the onus for a safe flight lies with everyone on board the plane. This new rulebook makes that amply clear.”Now issuing the new directives for DGCA has also mandated twin-engine aircraft with minimum two crew and good operational capability for VVIPs.It has also said that 24 hours before flying, state govts, PSUs, aircraft operators and the pilots must ensure the existence of a suitable helipad or air strip for landing. Besides, district authorities need to issue a landing permission or no-objection certificate before aircraft lands on a remote or uncontrolled airport or helipad. State and district administration have to facilitate information on the conditions for a helipad or an airstrip condition along with the coordinates, security, fire and rescue arrangement.

KOLKATA: West Bengal’s second supplementary voters’ list was published around 11pm Friday, albeit with little clarity on how many among the 12 lakh names on it had cleared judicial scrutiny.As was the case when Election Commission released the first supplementary rolls close to midnight last Monday, there were more questions than CEO Manoj Agarwal had answers for. “About 37 lakh of the 60 lakh pending cases have been disposed of till now. After receiving the list from Calcutta HC, EC will take 4-6 hours to process and upload it on our server,” he said in the afternoon.The list can be accessed at voters.eci.gov.in, ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in, and ECINET app. Copies will be displayed at polling stations and available with district election officers, DMs, SDOs and BDOs. Those who didn’t make the cut can appeal within 15 days, online or offline, before appellate tribunals. One more list is slated to be published on April 3.EC sources said 35-40% of those whose documents were examined by judicial officers had been disenfranchised.CM Mamata Banerjee’s TMC filed an appeal Friday before CJ Sujoy Paul of Calcutta HC, seeking daily publication of supplementary lists. The party said the first list only had 749,863 names, although judicial officers had by then disposed of 27 lakh cases. There was no information on the remaining 20-odd lakh names, it said.It also pointed out that 11 of its election candidates under adjudication were still in the dark about their voter status. It flagged the narrow window for disposal of appeals against exclusion, referring to the April 7 deadline for “locking” voters’ lists for the 152 constituencies going to polls in the first phase.On Friday, CJ Paul chaired a meeting on the publication of the second supplementary list with chief secretary Dushyant Nariala, home secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh, DGP S N Gupta, Kolkata police commissioner Ajay Nand, CEO Agarwal and special roll observer Subrata Gupta.

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court has rebuked trial and high courts for disclosing the identity of rape survivors in their orders and directed them to ensure that names of survivors and family members are not mentioned in court records, reports Amit Anand Choudhary.A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N K Singh expressed concern that despite statutory safeguards and repeated directions from SC, such lapses persist. The court made the observation while convicting a rape accused, noting that the name of the minor survivor was mentioned in lower court orders.“The legislature had as far back as 1983 introduced a provision into IPC seeking to protect the identity of the victim of the offence under Section 376 IPC. The amendment was made apparently to address a specific mischief that emerged starkly from the way sexual offence cases were handled: the public disclosure of a survivor’s identity.”Morality won’t guide court for protection of citizen’s rights: HCThe court rejected the argument of the woman’s family. “There is no offence of the kind where a married man, staying with an adult in a live-in relationship, by consent of the other person, can be prosecuted for any offence whatsoever,” the bench said. “Morality and law have to be kept apart. If there is no offence under the law made out, social opinions and morality will not guide the action of the court for protecting the rights of citizens.”The couple told the court that the woman’s family members had threatened her with death and they feared an honour killing attempt. The district police chief allegedly took no action.The court reminded the authorities that it was the fundamental duty of police to protect two adults living together. Finding a prima facie case, the bench admitted the petition, issued notices to respondents, and granted the state counsel two weeks to file a counter-affidavit.Granting immediate interim relief to the couple, the court also directed that the petitioners not be arrested “until further orders”. The case against the man had been registered under Section 87 of BNS, which criminalises kidnapping, abduction or inducement of a woman to compel her into marriage or illicit sexual relations, with penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines.To ensure protection, the court restrained the informant and all members of the woman’s family from causing any harm to the couple in life or limb, from entering their home and contacting them directly, through electronic means, or through others. The district SP would be personally responsible for ensuring the petitioners’ safety and security, the court said.