India's largest port operator bans tankers from Russia's shadow fleet

India's Adani Group, which operates the country's largest network of 14 ports, has banned sanctioned tankers from entering its terminals. This was reported by with reference to sources and internal documents of the company, Reuters.

This decision could create problems for India, the main buyer of Russian oil, which is supplied to the country mainly by tankers under sanctions from the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In particular, supplies to two Indian refineries are at risk.

One of them, HPCL-Mittal Energy, receives all its oil through the Adani-owned Mundra port. HMEL operates a 226,000 barrels per day refinery.

The country's largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp, also uses this port to import oil. IOC receives crude oil for its ten refineries at several ports in India.

According to a source familiar with IOC's oil purchases, the company will try to buy Russian oil cargoes in other ports where sanctioned vessels are still allowed to call.

The Adani Group's order obliges shipping operators and agents to provide written undertakings confirming that vessels are not under sanctions. The ban applies to port calls, berthing and use of port services.

• The Adani Group is an Indian conglomerate founded by Gautam Adani in 1988 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The conglomerate includes companies in the transportation infrastructure, energy, cement and food industries. The Adani Group is one of the largest financial and industrial groups in India.
• In June 2025, it became known that the United States had launched an investigation against Adani's companies. Prosecutors are checking whether the Adani Group imported Iranian liquefied natural gas through the port of Mundra in India.