India's crude oil imports remain stable at 232.5 million tons in FY 2023-24

(Reuters) -India imported 232.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of crude oil in the financial year 2023-24, compared with 232.7 MMT the prior fiscal year, provisional government data showed on Wednesday.

The world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer spent $132.4 billion importing oil in fiscal year 2023-24, nearly 16% lower than the $157.5 billion spent in the year prior.

India's fuel consumption fell 0.6% year-on-year in March, but demand for the 2024 financial year was up about 5%, primarily driven by higher automotive fuel and naphtha sales.

The United States has not asked India to cut Russian oil imports as the goal of sanctions and the G7-imposed $60 per barrel price cap is to have stable global oil supplies while hitting Moscow's revenue, an American treasury official said earlier in the month.

(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis)