Microsoft Cuts Services to India’s Rosneft-Backed Oil Refiner
Microsoft has suspended services to Nayara Energy, one of India’s largest private oil refiners, citing compliance with European Union sanctions due to the company’s ties to Russia’s Rosneft, The Gaze reports, citing Bloomberg.
In response, Nayara has filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court, calling the move “abrupt” and “unilateral.”
The decision adds to growing troubles for the Mumbai-based refiner, which operates a major 400,000-barrel-per-day plant on India’s west coast.
Nayara said the suspension is based solely on Microsoft’s interpretation of recent EU sanctions and sets a “dangerous precedent for corporate overreach.”
Rosneft, the Russian state oil company, owns a 49.13% stake in Nayara. The EU recently sanctioned Nayara, alleging the company’s profits indirectly support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. As a result, some shipowners and oil traders have begun avoiding dealings with the firm.
Nayara claims that Microsoft’s move is restricting access to its own licensed data, software, and tools, with no legal basis under Indian or U.S. law.
“This unjustified action affects our ability to serve partners and customers,” the company said in its statement.
Microsoft has not publicly commented on the issue so far.
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