Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 9 INDIA January 16, 2026 India’s Reliance In Talks For US Permit To Buy Venezuelan Oil, Sources Say I ndia’s Reliance Industries is seeking U.S. approval to resume purchases of Venezuelan crude, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, (January 9, 2026) as the private refiner looks to secure supplies amidWestern pressure on India to cut Russian oil im- ports. Reliance’s representatives are in discus- sions with the U.S. State and Treasury de- partments to obtain the authorization, the sources said, asWashington and Caracas progress in negotiations to ship 50 million barrels of oil in the aftermath of the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters email requesting comment on the authorization request. The Indian conglomerate had received licenses fromWashington in past years to import crude from U.S.-sanctioned Ven- ezuela for its refining complex, the world’s largest. Venezuela’s oil company PDVSA delivered Reliance four crude cargoes, or some 63,000 barrels per day, in the first four months of 2025 under those autho- rizations, according to PDVSA’s internal records. The U.S. suspended most licenses to PDVSA’s business partners between March and April and threatened Venezu- ela’s oil buyers with tariffs as it increased pressure on Maduro. Reliance’s last cargo of Venezuelan oil arrived in India in May 2025. Reliance said on Thursday that it would consider resuming purchases of Venezu- elan crude if sales to non-U.S. buyers are permitted under U.S. regulations. A U.S. Treasury spokesperson said the department would not comment on specific licenses or requests, adding it is “fully committed to supporting President Donald Trump’s efforts on behalf of the people of Venezuela.” Chevron, Vitol, Trafigura and other oil companies are vying for licenses and con- trol over Venezuelan oil exports. Trump is meeting with oil executives at theWhite House later on Friday. The South Ameri- can producer has millions of barrels of crude stuck in onshore tanks and vessels. U.S. officials have said they would control Venezuelan oil exports indefi- nitely, and that some oil would flow to non-U.S. buyers. Trump said China, the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil, will not be deprived of barrels. Reliance is willing to buy Venezuelan oil from U.S. companies and others with drilling rights in Venezuela if crude is offered at attractive rates, said one of the sources. Venezuelan oil supplies could help replace some Russian supplies to India. Reliance was the biggest Indian buyer of Russian oil but has said it would not receive any cargo of Russian crude this month as India is under pressure from Trump to stop importing Russian barrels. Reliance’s two refineries in western Gujarat state, with a combined capacity of about 1.4 million bpd of crude oil, allow it to process cheaper and heavier crudes such as Venezuela’s Merey. Reliance and PDVSA have a long-stand- ing relationship, and India was the third- most important market for Venezuela’s crude before the U.S. imposed sanctions on oil trade, taking some 400,000 bpd. -Reuters India’s Smartphone Security Proposal Faces Backlash Over Privacy Concerns T he Indian government’s plan requiring smart- phone makers to share source code as part of a raft of new security measures has drawn criti- cism from privacy advocates and technology experts over fears of heightened surveillance. Companies including Apple and Samsung have privately protested the proposed package of security standards, which also includes a requirement to main- tain phone logs on devices for a year, Reuters reported on Sunday (Jan. 11, 2026) citing a review of confidential government and industry documents. The proposal is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to boost security of user data as online fraud and data breaches increase in the world’s second- largest smartphone market, with nearly 750 million phones. India’s IT ministry has said “any legitimate concerns of the industry will be addressed with an open mind” and consultations were ongoing. It also refuted that it was considering seeking source code, without comment- ing on the government or industry documents cited by Reuters. The Internet Freedom Foundation, a privacy and free speech rights organisation, said it “strongly rejects any proposed regime that effectively grants the state access to confidential source code and embeds persistent con- trols into devices used daily by hundreds of millions of Indians”. “The proposals seek to micromanage how users inter- act with their own devices,” IFF added in a statement. India’s IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment. POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST The ministry called off a meeting scheduled for Tues- day (Jan. 13, 2026) with the tech giants to discuss their feedback and concerns about the proposal, according to three people with direct knowledge. Seeking source code – the underlying programming instructions that make phones work – erodes trust and “is a massive step backwards from India’s goal of improv- ing the ease of doing business,” said Akash Karmakar, a partner at Indian law firm Panag & Babu who specialises in technology law. Last month, India revoked an order mandating a state- run cybersecurity app on phones following opposition from opposition parties and privacy advocacy groups. The latest proposal says tech companies should inform Indian officials before releasing security updates and they can test them if they want. That creates a conflict of interest as it allows the state to act as a regulator while potentially exploiting vulner- abilities for surveillance, said Raman Jit Singh Chima, global cybersecurity lead at internet advocacy group, Access Now. -Reuters A customer compares his old iPhone with the newly launched iPhone 17 pro max at an Apple retail store in Delhi, India, September 19, 2025. A guard walks past the Reliance Industries logo near the entrance of Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai, March 15, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS/BHAWIKA CHHABRA/FILE PHOTO PHOTO:REUTERS/FRANCIS MASCARENHAS/FILE PHOTO By Nidhi Verma and Marianna Parraga By Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra