India will seek a broader consensus before backing a U.S. led effort to cap Russian oil prices, which U.S. officials are expected to insist on this week during their visits to Mumbai and New Delhi. India, which has become one of Russia's biggest oil buyers since the conflict in Ukraine began, is hesitant to join the plan unless a consensus is reached with all buyers, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources.

That message is likely to be conveyed to U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adeyemo and his team in meetings with Indian government officials and company executives Wednesday through Friday. His boss, Janet Yellen, and the department have led efforts to get allies on board with the idea of a price cap, which they believe would deprive Russia of revenue without removing oil from the market or causing a price spike.

The effectiveness of an oil price cap may depend on the commitment of key buyers, such as China and India, which have increased their oil purchases from Russia. The coalition for imposing a price cap on Russian oil has expanded and a number of countries have joined, Adeyemo said at an event in Mumbai on Wednesday, adding that he is not going to get ahead of the coalition's statements.

Indian politicians fear that committing to a price cap would disrupt their access to discounted Russian oil, sources said. The world's third-largest buyer, which imports 85 percent of its oil needs, relies on cheaper Russian supplies to mitigate inflation, close to 7 percent, and a record trade deficit.

Adeyemo is also expected to ask India to increase controls on where products made from Russian oil are sold, a source said.

The European Union approved a ban on Russian oil imports by sea at the end of the year and, along with Britain, intends to prohibit its companies from financing or insuring such supplies. U.S. officials fear the bans will shut down much of Russia's production and cause a global price spike to about $140 a barrel.

Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, settled above $100 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time since early August, though it has rebounded from its recent peak near $140 in March.

Adeyemo began his tour of India in Mumbai, where on Wednesday he visited the Indian Institute of Technology and its Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a startup incubator. In a prepared remarks, he said U.S. business consumers rely on products and innovations developed in India.