Mumbai: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s family has postponed a theatre festival planned for mid-September in New York, as strained India-US ties over Russian oil imports spill into cultural and business arenas.

“It is with deep regret that we share the NMACC India Weekend in New York, scheduled to open on 12 September, has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances,” the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) said in a statement on its website. “This is not a cancellation, only a pause, and we remain fully committed to bringing NMACC to New York at a later date.”

Reliance caught in crossfire

Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., India’s largest company by market capitalisation and the operator of the world’s biggest refining complex, has been drawn into the dispute between Washington and New Delhi.

Former US President Donald Trump and his aides have repeatedly criticised India for purchasing discounted Russian crude, claiming it weakens their campaign to end the Ukraine war.

Officials such as Peter Navarro and Scott Bessent accused “India’s politically connected energy titans” of profiteering from the conflict.

Although Ambani has not been named directly, remarks targeting India’s wealthiest and most influential industrialists have put his business empire under scrutiny.

“You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people,” Navarro told Fox News, in a remark referencing caste groups, though Ambani does not belong to that community.

Last week, Washington imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, among the steepest globally, as a punitive response to India’s continued Russian oil purchases.

Despite this, New Delhi has stood firm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin.

Reliance AGM signals caution

At the 48th Reliance AGM on Friday, Ambani pointed to the uncertainty created by geopolitical frictions, noting that “conflict produces no winners.”

He added: “When nations cooperate, trade flows freely, investments flourish and everyone wins.”

According to Reuters, Reliance and other Indian refiners are expected to boost Russian oil imports by 10–20% in September, translating into an additional 150,000–300,000 barrels per day.

At the same time, Bloomberg reported that Ambani’s group purchased more US crude in August, as it was cheaper than Middle Eastern grades.