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Comedian Kunal Kamra has weighed in on the ongoing tariff war between the United States and India over Russian oil imports. Known for his sharp political satire, Kamra highlighted the risk of job losses and economic instability caused by retaliatory tariffs.
Kunal Kamra’s Statement on Tariffs and Jobs
Taking to social media, Kunal Kamra wrote, “A tariff on goods puts a million jobs at risk. Imagine a tariff on Indian services – IT, BPO, accounting, consulting – it’ll create uncertainty for crores of Indians. One company’s gain from Russian oil burdens the country.”
His comment comes at a time when the US has imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, penalising New Delhi for continuing to buy Russian crude despite global pressure.
Reliance at the Centre of the Oil Controversy
The controversy has drawn Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, into the spotlight. His company Reliance Industries Ltd. is the world’s largest oil refiner and India’s biggest importer of Russian crude. Since the Ukraine war began, Reliance’s Russian crude share has risen from just 3 percent of imports in 2021 to nearly 50 percent in 2025, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
In the first seven months of 2025 alone, Reliance imported 18.3 million tonnes of Russian oil worth $8.7 billion, a 64 percent year-on-year increase. This surge has placed the conglomerate at the heart of the US-India discord.
NMACC Festival Postponed Amid Rising Tensions
The diplomatic strain has spilled over into cultural exchanges. The Ambani family recently postponed their NMACC India Weekend in New York, which was set to begin on September 12, 2025. The organisers cited “unforeseen circumstances” but assured it was only a pause and not a cancellation.
The move is being widely viewed as fallout from Washington’s growing unease over Indian oil imports from Russia.
Trump Administration’s Accusations
Former US President Donald Trump and his aides have taken a hard line on India. Trump’s team has accused India of undermining efforts to end the Ukraine war by purchasing cheap Russian oil.
White House advisor Peter Navarro went as far as calling India’s wealthy energy players “profiteers,” accusing them of funding Russia’s war machine. He controversially remarked, “You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people,” though Mukesh Ambani himself does not belong to that caste.
Reliance’s Tightrope: Profit vs. Sanctions
Reliance now faces a difficult choice. Halting Russian oil purchases could cut off a major source of profit for its Jamnagar refinery, one of the most advanced in the world. On the other hand, continuing to buy risks further US sanctions and tariffs, as Nayara Energy – Reliance’s Russian trade partner – already faces EU blacklisting and financial strain.
At the Reliance AGM 2025, executive director Anant Ambani admitted the company was under pressure over Russian crude purchases. However, he stressed that Reliance was balancing traditional refining with large-scale green energy investments, including a Rs 75,000 crore plan across Maharashtra.
India’s Defiance and Strategic Ties
Despite US pressure, India has continued to deepen ties with Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met President Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin, highlighting New Delhi’s intent to balance global expectations with energy security needs.
Also Read: Vir Das Reflects on His Changing Relationship with Delhi in Sunday Post
For now, Reliance and India’s other refiners plan to increase Russian imports by another 10–20 percent in September 2025, adding as much as 3,00,000 barrels per day.
Why Kunal Kamra’s Statement Resonates
Kunal Kamra’s words tap into a broader anxiety – that while Reliance and India’s elite industrial families may profit from discounted crude, ordinary Indians could face higher tariffs, job uncertainty, and economic instability. His warning about the IT, BPO, and consulting sectors reflects the fear that US retaliation could expand beyond goods and hurt services, one of India’s strongest export engines.
