India is reportedly calling on state oil companies to go big in buying up cheap crude oil from Russia

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the Indian government has asked state-owned oil companies to purchase large volumes of Russian crude.

Oil executives in India said that government officials have been encouraging them to keep buying Russian oil. One executive told The Journal that Indian Oil Corp. is in talks with Russia's Rosneft Oil.

Russian crude prices plummeted after the sanctions were imposed. The grade had fallen to as low as $37 below the benchmark.

The report said that Indian companies have been buying Russian oil despite the sanctions. The Journal reported that traders can pay for crude months after delivery without a letter of credit.

India's purchases of Russian oil are commercially driven, with the country struggling to contain surging inflation as energy prices have gone up. India has kept a neutral stance in the war between Russia andUkraine.

Since the beginning of the year, the international benchmark, Brent crude, has climbed about 45%.