Latest news with #Doraiswami
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India cannot ‘switch off its economy', says envoy to UK on Russian oil imports
India's high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami has dismissed the western criticism of New Delhi's oil imports from Russia and said a country can't "switch off its economy". Doraiswami said many of India's European partners are also continuing to buy rare earth and other energy products from the same countries that they're "refusing to let us buy from". He was speaking to British radio station, Times Radio, last week after the PM's visit to London. "Don't you think that that seems a little odd?" Doraiswami said. When asked about India's "closeness" with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, he said New Delhi's relationship is based on a number of metrics. "One of these is our long-standing security relationship that goes back to an era in which some of our western partners would not sell us weapons but would sell them to countries in our neighbourhood that use them only to attack us," the high commissioner said in an indirect reference to US-Pakistan military ties from the Cold War era. He said India has an "energy relationship" with Russia, which is the result of "everybody else buying energy from sources that we used to buy from earlier". "So we've been displaced out of the energy market largely, and the costs have gone up. We are the third-largest consumer of energy in the world. We import over 80% of our product. What would you have us do? Switch off our economy," Doraiswami said. "We also see around us relationships that other countries maintain for their own convenience with countries that are a source of difficulty for us. Do we ask you to come up with a little test of loyalty?" he said. India has called EU sanctions on Rosneft refinery in India as unilateral to which it does not subscribe. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that "this isn't an era of war". "He's made that point repeatedly, including with the president of Russia and with the president of Ukraine," he said. "We are very keen for this terrible conflict to stop, as we are keen for conflicts across the world to stop," Doraiswami added.
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India cannot ‘switch off its economy', says envoy to UK on Russian oil imports
India's high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami has dismissed the western criticism of New Delhi's oil imports from Russia and said a country can't "switch off its economy". Doraiswami said many of India's European partners are also continuing to buy rare earth and other energy products from the same countries that they're "refusing to let us buy from". He was speaking to British radio station, Times Radio, last week after the PM's visit to London. "Don't you think that that seems a little odd?" Doraiswami said. When asked about India's "closeness" with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, he said New Delhi's relationship is based on a number of metrics. "One of these is our long-standing security relationship that goes back to an era in which some of our western partners would not sell us weapons but would sell them to countries in our neighbourhood that use them only to attack us," the high commissioner said in an indirect reference to US-Pakistan military ties from the Cold War era. He said India has an "energy relationship" with Russia, which is the result of "everybody else buying energy from sources that we used to buy from earlier". "So we've been displaced out of the energy market largely, and the costs have gone up. We are the third-largest consumer of energy in the world. We import over 80% of our product. What would you have us do? Switch off our economy," Doraiswami said. "We also see around us relationships that other countries maintain for their own convenience with countries that are a source of difficulty for us. Do we ask you to come up with a little test of loyalty?" he said. India has called EU sanctions on Rosneft refinery in India as unilateral to which it does not subscribe. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that "this isn't an era of war". "He's made that point repeatedly, including with the president of Russia and with the president of Ukraine," he said. "We are very keen for this terrible conflict to stop, as we are keen for conflicts across the world to stop," Doraiswami added.
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India cannot ‘switch off its economy', says envoy to UK on Russian oil imports
India's high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami has dismissed the western criticism of New Delhi's oil imports from Russia and said a country can't "switch off its economy". Doraiswami said many of India's European partners are also continuing to buy rare earth and other energy products from the same countries that they're "refusing to let us buy from". He was speaking to British radio station, Times Radio, last week after the PM's visit to London. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category CXO Product Management Healthcare Management Data Science Technology Data Analytics Degree Artificial Intelligence Digital Marketing Finance healthcare Operations Management Data Science others PGDM Public Policy Design Thinking Cybersecurity Others MBA Project Management Leadership MCA Skills you'll gain: Technology Strategy & Innovation Emerging Technologies & Digital Transformation Leadership in Technology Management Cybersecurity & Risk Management Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Chief Technology Officer Starts on Jun 28, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Digital Strategy Development Expertise Emerging Technologies & Digital Trends Data-driven Decision Making Leadership in the Digital Age Duration: 40 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Chief Digital Officer Starts on Jun 30, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Operations Strategy for Business Excellence Organizational Transformation Corporate Communication & Crisis Management Capstone Project Presentation Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow Chief Operations Officer Programme Starts on Jun 30, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Customer-Centricity & Brand Strategy Product Marketing, Distribution, & Analytics Digital Strategies & Innovation Skills Leadership Insights & AI Integration Expertise Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode IIMK Chief Marketing and Growth Officer Starts on Apr 7, 2024 Get Details "Don't you think that that seems a little odd?" Doraiswami said. When asked about India's "closeness" with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, he said New Delhi's relationship is based on a number of metrics. "One of these is our long-standing security relationship that goes back to an era in which some of our western partners would not sell us weapons but would sell them to countries in our neighbourhood that use them only to attack us," the high commissioner said in an indirect reference to US-Pakistan military ties from the Cold War era. He said India has an "energy relationship" with Russia, which is the result of "everybody else buying energy from sources that we used to buy from earlier". "So we've been displaced out of the energy market largely, and the costs have gone up. We are the third-largest consumer of energy in the world. We import over 80% of our product. What would you have us do? Switch off our economy," Doraiswami said. "We also see around us relationships that other countries maintain for their own convenience with countries that are a source of difficulty for us. Do we ask you to come up with a little test of loyalty?" he said. India has called EU sanctions on Rosneft refinery in India as unilateral to which it does not subscribe. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that "this isn't an era of war". "He's made that point repeatedly, including with the president of Russia and with the president of Ukraine," he said. "We are very keen for this terrible conflict to stop, as we are keen for conflicts across the world to stop," Doraiswami added. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Would you rather we switch off our economy,' Indian envoy asks, defending buying oil from Russia
LONDON: Indian high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami has defended India buying oil from Russia and its close relationship with Moscow, saying to a British journalist: 'Do you want us to switch off our economy?' Doraiswami was speaking to Times Radio when asked by its political editor, Kate McCann, whether he felt comfortable with the 'closeness' of New Delhi's relationship with President Putin. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'We have a relationship that is based on a number of metrics — one of these is our long-standing security relationship that goes back to an era in which some of our Western partners wouldn't sell us weapons, but would sell them to countries in our neighbourhood which used them only to attack us,' Doraiswami replied. 'Second, we have an energy relationship today which is the result of everybody else buying energy from sources that we used to earlier buy from, so we have been displaced out of the energy market, largely, and the costs have gone up. We are the third-largest consumer of energy in the world and we import over 80% of our product. What would you have us do? Switch off our economy?' 'Thirdly, we also see around us relationships that other countries maintain for their own convenience with countries that are a source of difficulty for us. Do we ask you to come up with the litmus test of loyalty,' he said. McCann pressed whether India should be accepting Russian oil, pointing out that Nayara's Vadinar refinery in Gujarat had recently been sanctioned by the EU for refining Russian crude. 'We are the fourth-largest refiner of energy in the world and a number of countries in Europe buy refined oil from us, which ought to tell you something, and also many of our European partners are continuing to buy rare earth and other energy products, not oil perhaps, from the same countries that they are refusing to let us buy from. You wouldn't think that seems a little odd,' Doraiswami said. McCann asked whether PM Narendra Modi would be willing to discuss with Putin ending the war in Ukraine. 'Our consistent position, as our PM has repeatedly said, is that this isn't an era of war. He has made that point to the president of Russia and the president of Ukraine. We are very keen for this terrible conflict to stop, as we are keen for conflicts across the world to stop,' Doraiswami said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now McCann also probed about a 'new pact between India, Russia and China', asking: 'Do you feel comfortable with those relationships, because the leaders of those countries are roundly condemned by others in Europe?' Doraiswami denied there was ever any such pact and said there had just been a 'trilateral meeting format' which had not happened in a long time. 'It was a format in which we had our leadership coordinate across a range of security-related issues,' he said. 'We are neighbours of China, and China is a neighbour of Russia. It is reasonable that we coordinate our security interests,' he said.
Mint
28-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
‘Switch off our economy?': Indian Envoy Vikram Doraiswami schools Western media on Russian oil question
Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami delivered a rather fierce and a blunt reply to a journalist criticising India's oil imports from Russia. Doraiswami, who was talking to British radio station Times Radio last week, asked 'What would have us do? Switch off our economy?', adding that India is the third largest consumer of energy in the world and imports over 80 per cent of its products. According to a TOI report, the High Commissioner pointed out the irony and said that many of European countries are continuing to buy rare earth and other energy products, not oil, perhaps, but from the same countries that they're refusing to let India purchase from. When asked about India's 'closeness' with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin, Doraiswami said, 'We have a relationship that is based on a number of metrics. One of these is our long-standing security relationship that goes back to an era in which some of our Western partners wouldn't sell us weapons, but would sell it to countries in our neighbourhood that use them only to attack us.' 'Second, we have an energy relationship today which is a result of everybody else buying energy from sources that we used to earlier buy from. So we've been displaced out of the energy market largely and the cost have gone up. We are the third largest consumer of energy in the world and we import over 80 per cent of our product. What would you have us to do? Switch off our energy?' Doraiswami asked. "Third, we also see around us relationships that other countries maintain for their own convenience with countries that are a source of difficulty for us. Do we ask you to come up with a little test of loyalty?" he further asked. A Reuters report on Monday said that the European Parliament is considering proposals to speed up the EU's phase out Russian gas by one year, to January 2027, as officials in Brussels prepare to negotiate the legally-binding ban. European Union countries and lawmakers are preparing to negotiate the EU's plan to ban imports of Russian gas – with the starting point a legal proposal the European Commission made last month to phase out all Russian gas imports by January 1, 2028. The Parliament's lead lawmakers on the Russian gas ban have each proposed that this deadline is moved forward to January 1, 2027, documents detailing their amendments to the Commission proposal showed, the report added.
