Delcy Rodríguez arrives in India to strengthen oil sales

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, arrived in India for a visit aimed at bolstering the South American nation's oil sales. She met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, seeking to secure increased crude oil exports to India, a crucial market for Venezuela.

Modi welcomed Rodríguez at Hyderabad House, the venue for high-level bilateral meetings. According to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs, the discussions focused on consolidating the partnership and giving new impetus to bilateral ties. This visit follows Rodríguez's previous trip to India in February 2025, when she served as Minister of Petroleum and sought to expand crude sales.

Venezuela's oil exports to India have seen a resurgence following the easing of U.S. sanctions. India has become Venezuela's fourth-largest oil supplier, trailing only Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, according to the consulting firm Kpler. The U.S. has promoted Venezuelan oil as an alternative to Russian crude, particularly as Washington has increased pressure on New Delhi to reduce its purchases of Russian oil.

Rodríguez's itinerary includes a stop in Jamnagar to visit the Reliance Industries refinery, one of the world's largest refining complexes and a potential key destination for Venezuelan crude. The Venezuelan delegation also plans to visit the Tata Group headquarters in Mumbai and engage with the International Solar Alliance to explore clean energy projects. The visit, scheduled to conclude on June 7, will cover energy, trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, health, transport, and renewable energy.