Microsoft restores email and other services to Russia-backed Nayara Energy ahead of high court hearing
has restored access to email and other services for Rosneft-backed
Nayara Energy
, reports news agency PTI. The development comes before a scheduled hearing in the
Delhi High Court
over the service suspension after the Russia-backed company filed a case against the software giant.
Nayara accounts for about 8% of India's total refining capacity. It operates the country's third-largest refinery at Vadinar in Gujarat in addition to over 6,000 fuel stations. The company typically exports at least four million barrels of refined products per month, including diesel, jet fuel, gasoline and naphtha.
Why Nayara Energy sued Microsoft
It all started when Microsoft suspended its services to
Nayara
Energy allegedly after the European Union included the company in a new round of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war.
Russian oil company
Rosneft
owns 49.13% of Nayara Energy Ltd, earlier known as Essar Oil Ltd. Another 49.13% stake in Nayara is held by an investment group called Kesani Enterprises Company. Kesani is also owned by Russia's United Capital Partners (UCP) and Hara Capital Sarl, which is fully owned by Mareterra Group Holding (formerly Genera Group Holding S.p.A.).
Nayara responded by taking legal action against the 50-year-old software giant.
Calling Microsoft's move as 'unilateral' and made without consultation, the company said in a statement 'Microsoft is currently restricting Nayara Energy's access to its own data, proprietary tools, and products—despite these being acquired under fully paid-up licenses'.
"Nayara Energy has initiated legal proceedings against Microsoft following the abrupt and unilateral suspension of critical services. Microsoft is currently restricting Nayara Energy's access to its own data, proprietary tools, and products—despite these being acquired under fully paid-up licences," the statement further read.
"This decision, based solely on Microsoft's unilateral interpretation of recent European Union (EU) sanctions, sets a dangerous precedent for corporate overreach and raises serious concerns regarding its implications on India's energy ecosystem," Nayara added.
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