Petrol Crosses Rs. 100 in Delhi as Fuel Prices Hike for 4th Time in 10 Days

Continuous fuel price hikes push petrol beyond Rs. 100 in Delhi, raising concerns over household expenses, transport costs, and inflation pressure across India. For the fourth time in under ten days, Indians woke up to higher fuel prices on Wednesday morning, after state-owned oil companies pushed petrol rates up by Rs. 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs. 2.71 per litre. The back-to-back revisions have left commuters, freight operators, and small business owners adjusting their budgets mid-month. In the national capital, petrol crossed Rs. 100 per litre at most filling stations. Cities including Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai recorded diesel prices edging toward similar figures. Taken together, the series of revisions this month has added close to Rs. 8 per litre to what Indians were paying at the start of the month, making the fuel price today one of the steepest seen in the current financial year. Crude Benchmarks Leave Little Room for Domestic Relief Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum price fuel against international crude benchmarks on a fortnightly cycle. With global crude oil rates staying elevated amid OPEC supply restrictions and unresolved tensions across West Asia, those benchmarks have given companies little room to hold prices steady. A senior Petroleum Ministry official confirmed that the revisions reflect current import costs and that no excise duty adjustment is under consideration at this stage. Transport and Supply Chains Feel the Strain Road freight operators were among the first to respond. Several transporter associations confirmed on Wednesday that fuel surcharges on interstate shipments are being revised upward, a direct consequence of the jump in petrol and diesel rates in 2026. Wholesale distributors supplying vegetables and perishables to urban markets in Delhi, Pune, and Ahmedabad said transportation costs had already risen noticeably over the past week. Inflation Concern Grows as Prices Climb Two senior economists at domestic financial institutions stated that rising fuel prices in India at this pace raise a credible risk of feeding into broader retail inflation. Historical data shows a fuel price hike in India typically transmits to food and manufactured goods within three to four weeks. The next pricing review is expected before the weekend, though oil ministry officials declined to confirm whether further increases are planned.
2026-05-25 11:31:57