‘Should we only buy oil from countries you like?’: Gen Naravane says nobody should dictate India
"We'll do what we want to do and I think we have reached that stage where we don't have to listen to anybody else," said General Naravane.
- Sep 29, 2025,
- Updated Sep 29, 2025 10:15 AM IST
Why should anyone dictate India what to do, and why should India not worry about its own interests, asked former Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane. He added that India has always followed a policy of strategic autonomy and would continue to do so.
Speaking at The General & The Journalist Podcast with General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn, General Naravane, on why India will not acquiesce to the US’ demands, said, “Even Europe is buying gas, the United States is buying other goods from Russia. Why are you singling out India?”
“Moreover we will buy from whoever we want to. Who is anybody else to dictate to us? We have to look after the interests of our own people. Should we buy at a higher price from somewhere else and fuel inflation in our own country? No, it is not in the interests of our population. We'll do what is best for our interest and that is the bottom line. That's what every country does. Why point fingers at someone else?” he said in a rather frank response to the podcasters questions.
When asked if it is wise to be “energy dependent” on a country that could very well turn against India, General Naravane said, “It is not that we are totally energy dependent on Russia. We are importing from many other countries in the world. But again, impositions are placed on others too – don't buy from Venezuela, don't buy from Iran, don't buy from Russia. Then who do we buy from? Only those that you want us to buy from for your own selfish interests? How can that be acceptable to any self-respecting person or country? So, you know, we'll do what we want to do and I think we have reached that stage where we don't have to listen to anybody else.”
Speaking about PM Modi meeting Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and whether it was to “teach Donald Trump a lesson”, General Naravane said, “We are not trying to teach a lesson to anyone. We have just followed what we have always said that we want to have a policy of strategic autonomy where we have the choice to follow a course of action – a principled course of action – in a given set of circumstances and that is precisely what we are doing with the United States too.”
“We've had excellent relations with the US, and as with any relations with any other country there are ups and downs. There have been ups and downs – two major downs in fact – with the US prior to this current situation and we have always weathered these storms and come out stronger,” said the former army chief.
General Naravane elaborated that relations with countries do not work on only one level, but encompasses many factors like political, diplomatic, trade, military, people-to-people etc. “Just because one of those four five levels is not working very well does not mean that the complete relationship has gone into the dustbin,” he said.
Why should anyone dictate India what to do, and why should India not worry about its own interests, asked former Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane. He added that India has always followed a policy of strategic autonomy and would continue to do so.
Speaking at The General & The Journalist Podcast with General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn, General Naravane, on why India will not acquiesce to the US’ demands, said, “Even Europe is buying gas, the United States is buying other goods from Russia. Why are you singling out India?”
“Moreover we will buy from whoever we want to. Who is anybody else to dictate to us? We have to look after the interests of our own people. Should we buy at a higher price from somewhere else and fuel inflation in our own country? No, it is not in the interests of our population. We'll do what is best for our interest and that is the bottom line. That's what every country does. Why point fingers at someone else?” he said in a rather frank response to the podcasters questions.
When asked if it is wise to be “energy dependent” on a country that could very well turn against India, General Naravane said, “It is not that we are totally energy dependent on Russia. We are importing from many other countries in the world. But again, impositions are placed on others too – don't buy from Venezuela, don't buy from Iran, don't buy from Russia. Then who do we buy from? Only those that you want us to buy from for your own selfish interests? How can that be acceptable to any self-respecting person or country? So, you know, we'll do what we want to do and I think we have reached that stage where we don't have to listen to anybody else.”
Speaking about PM Modi meeting Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and whether it was to “teach Donald Trump a lesson”, General Naravane said, “We are not trying to teach a lesson to anyone. We have just followed what we have always said that we want to have a policy of strategic autonomy where we have the choice to follow a course of action – a principled course of action – in a given set of circumstances and that is precisely what we are doing with the United States too.”
“We've had excellent relations with the US, and as with any relations with any other country there are ups and downs. There have been ups and downs – two major downs in fact – with the US prior to this current situation and we have always weathered these storms and come out stronger,” said the former army chief.
General Naravane elaborated that relations with countries do not work on only one level, but encompasses many factors like political, diplomatic, trade, military, people-to-people etc. “Just because one of those four five levels is not working very well does not mean that the complete relationship has gone into the dustbin,” he said.