It could not immediately be determined how much Russian oil Indian refiners have bought with yuan, although Indian Oil has paid in yuan for multiple cargoes, sources said.
The rise in yuan payments has given a boost to Beijing's efforts to internationalise its currency, with Chinese banks promoting its use specifically for Russian oil trade.
Indian refiners have also settled some non-dollar payments for Russian oil in the United Arab Emirates' dirham, sources have said.
One private refiner has also been using the same mechanism for payments for Russian oil, one of the sources said.
Another state refiner, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL.NS), is also exploring yuan payment for Russian oil, a separate source said.
Persons:
IOC's, Rosneft, Nidhi Verma, Tony Munroe, Tom Hogue
Organizations:
U.S, Indian Oil Corp, Reliance Industries Ltd, Nayara Energy, HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd, Oil, Gazprom Neft, Reuters, United Arab, State Bank of India, NS Bora, Sun Ship Management, European Union, IOC, ICICI Bank, Bank of China, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd, Thomson
Locations:
DELHI, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Indian, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, United Kingdom, Bank, Rosneft, ICICI