Updated 28 May 2025 at 13:03 IST
Fuel prices play a crucial role in shaping daily household budgets, making it important for consumers to stay informed about the latest rates. As of May 26 2025, petrol and diesel prices continue to be a key concern across India, from major metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata to smaller towns. These fuel costs directly impact transportation expenses and can lead to fluctuations in the prices of essential goods.
A pattern observed in these major cities shows a fall in petrol and diesel prices in Noida, Bhubaneswar, and Lucknow, while prices in other Indian cities have either remained constant or increased.
Taxation: Petrol and Diesel are the highest revenue-generating fuels, so various taxes are applied to them. Any revenue generation plans would first affect petrol and diesel prices through GST or an increase in levies. These tax rates increase the price of petrol from producers and increase their profit margins.
Demand and Supply Factors: Political turmoil or conflicts in crude oil exporting nations may lead to supply chain disruptions, leading to a demand-supply mismatch in the global markets. This mismatch and sharp price rates in the global economy will trickle down and affect local prices. Another reason for this arises in India, where the input cost of crude oil is high in India leading to a supply deficit in the country, making it unable to meet the high demand of the country with increasing private vehicle ownership. Rising rural demand has also been a huge contributing factor to the price. An increase in supply, on the other hand, leads to a fall in price.
Uncertain Market Conditions: When economies go under recession or depression, investors position themselves on crude oil trades like petrol and diesel, which leads to an increase in prices within the local economy as well.
Logistics: Transportation costs vary from regions, cities and states, which ultimately impact the petrol and diesel prices across states. Closer areas pay less for petrol and diesel due to reduced transportation costs. This is a reason why the prices of petrol and diesel vary across the cities mentioned.
Exchange Rates: If global crude oil prices fall, India would not benefit if the rupee is weak against the dollar. The rupee-dollar exchange rate plays a crucial role in determining prices in the local economy.
Petrol and diesel prices vary due to different taxation structures between the central and state governments. The cost of crude oil makes up 90% of diesel’s final price, along with factors such as taxes, duties and exchange rates. Crude oil prices move along with petrol and diesel prices.
Rising crude oil prices, a depreciating rupee, tax rates and geopolitical tensions have surged prices, leading to an upward trajectory in the petrol and diesel prices. Analysts predict that if global economic conditions persist, this may continue.
Prices have the potential to change if governments intervene through tax adjustments and subsidies, but predicting these is challenging.
Petrol and diesel prices are impacted by a whole host of domestic and international factors, and staying informed about these will help consumers navigate the price changes smoothly.
Published 26 May 2025 at 13:06 IST