Exclusive-Rising costs squeeze intermediaries out of thriving Russian oil trade with India

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By Nidhi Verma NEW DELHI/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Three trading houses have become dominant sellers of Russian oil to India as many smaller players dropped out of the business due to high funding costs in Russia and lack of access to Western funds, according to data and six trading sources. The change reverses a trend of dozens of little-known trading firms flooding the market for oil trade between Russia and key buyers China, India and Turkey, lured by prospects of higher fees to help Russian producers skirt Western sanctions. India has become the biggest buyer of Russia's seaborne crude after Moscow's...