‘We are a self-respecting country’: Piyush Goyal on Russian oil and US tariff threat | ETSA 2026

With a US decision on punitive tariffs over Russian oil expected within days, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal says India is a self-respecting country that will protect its national interest and its energy security. Goyal points out that Indian refineries were designed for crude from the Middle East and Russia, that India already buys a lot of oil and gas from the US, and that it wants a diversified set of suppliers. He adds that the EU still imports gas from Russia and the US still imports Russian uranium. He also credits the government's handling of two wars: no fuel shortages in India, taxes cut when prices rose, and 90% of fertiliser costs borne by the Centre.In conversation with Deepshikha Sikarwar of The Economic Times at the ET Startup Awards 2026, Bengaluru.