Venezuela’s Acting President Seeks Energy Pact in India Amid Gulf Supply Crisis
As Venezuela emerges as India’s third-largest oil supplier, diplomatic talks in New Delhi focus on stabilising energy flows and expanding economic ties beyond the petroleum sector.
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has arrived in New Delhi for a five-day visit, initiating high-level discussions aimed at solidifying energy cooperation between the two nations. The diplomatic mission coincides with a critical period for India’s energy security, as supply disruptions in the Gulf region have forced New Delhi to diversify its crude import portfolio. Venezuela has rapidly ascended to become India’s third-largest crude oil supplier this month, with exports reaching approximately 417,000 barrels per day, a significant increase from 283,000 barrels per day recorded in April.
The surge in trade volumes follows Rodriguez’s assumption of power in January after the abduction of her predecessor, President Nicolas Maduro, by the US military. Under the previous administration, Venezuelan shipments to India had ceased for nine months. The current administration has since negotiated a new framework allowing limited companies to purchase crude directly from the state-run oil company, PDVSA, facilitating the renewed flow of ultra-heavy crude that is particularly suited to the processing capabilities of Indian refiners such as Reliance Industries.
Indian Foreign Ministry Secretary Rurendra Tandon stated that official discussions have centred on forging a robust energy partnership, leveraging the complementarity between Venezuela’s upstream reserves and India’s downstream refining capacity. Tandon noted that talks also extended to broadening economic ties into sectors including mining, agriculture, animal husbandry, and pharmaceuticals, aiming to establish a long-term stable demand relationship that endures beyond immediate energy needs.
The visit occurs against the backdrop of severe supply chain constraints in the Middle East. Since March 2, an effective Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted nearly half of India’s normal crude oil imports from Gulf producers. This geopolitical instability has compelled New Delhi to accelerate procurement from alternative sources, including Russia under a US waiver and Venezuela, despite previous commitments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase purchases from the US and Venezuela while reducing Russian oil intake.
Beyond statecraft, the visit carries personal significance for Rodriguez, who is a longstanding devotee of Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba. She is expected to visit the guru’s birthplace in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, continuing a spiritual tradition shared by Maduro, who declared a national day of mourning in Venezuela following the guru’s death in 2011. Rodriguez has frequently cited Sai Baba’s teachings on peace and love in her political rhetoric, framing her leadership within a context of spiritual guidance and mutual respect.
