| Component | Amount (approx) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base price (crude) | ₹38.00 | Follows Brent crude |
| Freight + refinery margin | ₹8.00 | Fixed by OMCs |
| Central excise duty | ₹25.00 | Same nationwide |
| Dealer commission | ₹3.00 | ~₹3–4/litre |
| State VAT | ₹26.00 | Varies 11–35% by state |
| Total retail price | ≈ ₹0.00 | National avg |
The national average petrol price in India today is ₹0.00/litre and diesel is ₹0.00/litre as of 11 Apr 2026. Prices are revised by oil marketing companies (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL) based on international crude oil prices and are updated on the 1st and 16th of each month.
The central excise duty (around ₹25/litre) is uniform across India. However, state VAT varies from about 11% in Goa to over 35% in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. This creates a price gap of ₹5–15/litre between different states for the same fuel.
Petrol is used in cars, two-wheelers and small vehicles. Diesel powers trucks, buses, tractors and many SUVs. Diesel is historically cheaper due to lower taxation, but the gap has narrowed significantly in recent years. Diesel engines also deliver better fuel efficiency (km/litre) than equivalent petrol engines.
Dynamic fuel pricing was introduced in India in June 2017. Prices are now revised daily by OMCs based on a 15-day rolling average of international crude prices and the INR/USD exchange rate — though in practice, prices often remain stable for weeks at a time.