Against the backdrop of global tension caused by conflicts between the US and Iran, as well as the war between Russia and Ukraine, there is an impact on oil and gas supplies worldwide. This has led to rising prices for food and fuel in many countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Even in the US, diesel fuel prices have reached record highs.
This tension has also affected India, but thanks to Modi's government's Plan B, which includes diversifying import destinations and increasing domestic production, the consequences have been significantly mitigated. Moreover, amid the Global Oil and Gas Crisis, India has established itself as a major helper for other countries, becoming a leading supplier of diesel fuel to Europe and Kenya. Furthermore, Turkey, which traditionally supported Pakistan, now relies on supplies from India.
The Republic of Turkey was long dependent on Russia to meet its diesel fuel needs. However, in 2025, about 85 percent of Turkey's total diesel fuel imports came exclusively from Russia. In 2026, Russian fuel supplies to Turkey began to decrease. Initially purchasing over two million barrels of diesel fuel daily, Russia's imports to Turkey fell to 80 thousand barrels per day by August 2026, reducing the share of Russian fuel in imports to 20%.
After the reduction in supplies from Russia, which was struggling with the oil crisis, Turkey had to look for alternative suppliers. In this situation, India stepped in as the main helper for the country that had always supported Pakistan. According to August data, India became the main supplier of diesel fuel to Turkey. According to Kpler, after the strike from Russia, Turkey purchased a record more than 1.2 million barrels of diesel fuel daily from India. Energy Aspects noted that diesel fuel supplies to Turkey from India last month were the largest monthly shipment since August 2022.
Although Turkey is a new name on the list of countries purchasing the largest amount of refined diesel fuel from India, India remains a savior for many nations. As for Europe, 60% of the diesel fuel is supplied from India. A recent report citing Vortexa data showed that due to the slowdown in Russian exports and weakening American supplies, India has become a key country supplying diesel fuel to Europe.
In August 2026, approximately 60 percent of the diesel fuel destined for Europe via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was supplied by Indian refineries. Last month, about 200,000 barrels of diesel fuel or gasoline were transported daily along major sea routes to Europe.
In addition to Europe and Turkey, Kenya also relies on India. Surpassing Gulf countries, India has become the largest supplier of petroleum products to East African Kenya. It is worth noting that Kenya used to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, and aviation fuel under state-supported deals. Main supplies were made by companies such as Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and Emirates National Oil Company.
However, due to tensions in the Middle East related to the US-Iran war and disruptions in oil and gas supplies, a crisis arose in Kenya, forcing the country to change its fuel sources. Amid the US-Iran war, India acted as the largest supplier of gasoline, diesel fuel, and aviation fuel to Kenya. According to a Kpler report from August 2026, published by the Belgian commodity market company, energy analyst Anas Alhajji reported that India surpassed the UAE and Saudi Arabia in supplies of gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, and fuel oil to Kenya.
The main reason for India's growing global role in diesel fuel supplies is the excess capacity of its refineries. India is the fourth-largest processor in the world, with a installed capacity of 258.1 million tons per year, which exceeds domestic fuel demand. In 2025-26, India exported 61.5 million tons of petroleum products, becoming one of the largest exporters of refined petroleum products in the world. These types of fuels are now available in the markets of many countries, including Europe.
India's strategy is that it can export such large volumes of diesel fuel to countries like Europe, Kenya, and Turkey thanks to one of the world's largest refining capacities. The country imports a large amount of crude oil from other countries and then refines it at its refineries into diesel fuel, gasoline, and other petroleum products. After using the necessary portion for its own needs, the remainder is exported to other states. Russia played an important role in this Indian oil strategy, as India constantly increased its purchases of affordable Russian oil, refining it and putting it on the market.