US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is planning a visit to New Delhi later this year in an effort to boost energy sales to India, according to persons aware of the matter, amid pressure from Washington over India’s purchases of Russian oil.
Chris Wright may visit India in bid to boost energy sales
Wright –who recently said Washington is keen on India drawing down energy purchases from Russia –is expected to visit in either November or December. Wright’s visit will entail meetings with top Indian energy firms , many of whom are in talks with US companies for long term contracts, particularly for supplies of liquified natural gas.
The visit comes even as India has ramped up purchases of US energy, including crude oil and LNG, over the last few months. HT earlier reported that Indian purchases of US crude oil surged 51% in the first half of 2025 compared with the previous year, while LNG imports nearly doubled from $1.41 billion in FY2023-24 to $2.46 billion in FY2024-25. This comes as part of an effort to reduce America’s roughly $45 billion trade deficit with India, which has been a key demand of the Trump administration. Earlier this year, India committed to increasing energy purchases from the United States from $15 billion in 2024 to $25 billion. Wright’s visit will focus on further deepening those energy ties, according to the persons cited above.
“India is a star in several energy sectors, including natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, clean cooking fuels, and liquid petroleum gas. We look forward to more energy trade and more interactions back and forth with India,” Wright said last week in New York, laying out the agenda for the US-India energy partnership. The US Energy Secretary added that bilateral talks began in January this year, when he met with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during Trump’s inauguration ceremony. Increasing energy trade was also a key focus of the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump in February this year. Modi and Trump outlined a plan to increase trade in hydrocarbons –including LNG and petroleum products –as well as increased investments in oil and gas infrastructure.
According to several media reports, Indian energy major GAIL was in talks for a long-term LNG purchase agreement with America’s Glenfarne, which is developing a large natural gas project in Alaska. Talks between Indian and US companies for similar purchases are ongoing, persons aware of the matter said.
However, even as talks have progressed, Washington has made clear that it expects India to accommodate its concerns on New Delhi’s energy ties to Moscow. US president Donald Trump in August imposed a punitive 25% tariff, in addition to a 25% reciprocal tariff, on exports from India over India’s purchases of Russian oil.
“We don’t want to punish India. We want to end the war in Ukraine, and we want to grow our relations with India. America has oil to sell, so does everybody else. We wish India would work with us to buy oil from elsewhere. You can buy oil from every nation on the earth, just not Russian oil. That’s our position,” Wright said at a press briefing last week.
According to a senior State Department official, Washington is pushing for India to reduce energy purchases from Russia through a structured negotiation process. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are part of the talks. The official added that talks have continued positively, with a resolution on the issue expected soon.
However, India has defended energy ties to Russia by pointing out that its purchases of oil are driven by market factors and are necessary for national energy security.
