New Delhi, 20 March (H.S.): The impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict on India’s fuel prices has become unmistakable, as oil marketing companies have hiked the price of premium petrol and industrial diesel again, while keeping regular petrol and diesel rates unchanged for now.
State‑run oil marketing firms announced on Friday that premium petrol variants such as HPCL’s Power and IOCL’s XP95 have been increased by around ₹2.09 per litre. In Delhi, premium petrol has moved up from about ₹111.68 per litre to around ₹113.77 per litre.
In Mumbai, where normal petrol stands at ₹103.50 per litre, the increase in premium variants also falls in the ₹2–₹2.30 per litre band.At the same time, Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has raised the price of industrial diesel sharply, from about ₹87.67 per litre to ₹109.59 per litre, a jump of over ₹21 per litre.
This increase is expected to raise operating costs for industries and logistics firms that rely heavily on dieses. Regular diesel, however, continues to be sold at ₹87.67 per litre in Delhi and ₹90.03 per litre in Mumbai.
Premium petrol, with an octane rating of 95 or higher compared to regular petrol’s 91, is marketed as a high‑performance fuel that can improve engine efficiency and, in some specifications, mileage. The latest hike will therefore mainly affect drivers of high‑end cars and those specifically using high‑octane fuel.
Oil companies have not issued a detailed explanation for the targeted increases in premium fuels and industrial diesel, but analysts say the moves are driven by volatility in global crude prices, rising transportation costs, and the tension in the West Asia region, particularly the escalating standoff between Iran and the United States.
The latest hike follows earlier increases in LPG cylinder prices, which had already triggered concerns about a broader fuel‑cost squeeze. Earlier this month, commercial cylinders went up by ₹28–₹31, and on March 7 domestic cylinders were raised by ₹60 while commercial cylinders were increased by up to ₹115, leading to anxious queueing at distributors in many cities.
For now, the government appears to be shielding regular petrol and diesel from hikes, but with crude oil still trading stubbornly high, experts warn that broader price increases cannot be ruled out if the geopolitical situation worsens further.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
