Dhaka, Aug. 7 -- The United States is escalating trade pressure on India for continuing to import, refine, and export discounted Russian crude - transactions that U.S. officials say circumvent sanctions aimed at depriving Moscow of revenue.

At the fulcrum of this geopolitical firestorm is Reliance Industries, headed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, a key ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With new tariffs in place and secondary sanctions under consideration, Reliance's global refining juggernaut faces heightened exposure.

Effective August 1, 2025, former President Donald Trump imposed a flat 25 per cent tariff on all Indian exports to the U.S., plus an unspecified penalty linked to India's ongoing trade in Russian energy and defense equ...