India's purchases of Russian oil could rise due to easing global oil prices, a senior government official said on Friday.

A retreat in crude prices will bring down the price of Russian oil to below $60 a barrel cap imposed by G7 nations, the official said.

This would help India, the world's third biggest crude importer, to buy more from Russia, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. (Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Jan Harvey)