Indian refiners have resumed crude oil shipments from Venezuela after the recent easing of sanctions, marking a return to the market and creating a potential competition with Chinese independent refiners. The easing of sanctions allows US oil companies to explore investments in Venezuela, and US refiners can now directly purchase oil from state-run PDVSA. Indian refiners, including Reliance and Nayara Energy, stand to benefit from Venezuelan crude, offering an opportunity to enhance sour crude refining margins. The move is expected to diversify crude sources and improve overall supply chain resilience for Indian refiners.