India / Petrol, diesel prices hiked for 5th straight day; rates touch 2-yr high

New Delhi: Petrol price on Sunday was hiked by 28 paise per litre and diesel by 29 paise, the fifth straight day of increase in rates due to firming international oil prices.

Petrol price in Delhi rose to ₹83.41 per litre from ₹83.13. Diesel rates went up from ₹73.32 to ₹73.61 per litre, according to a price notification of oil marketing companies.

Rates crossed ₹90-mark for petrol and ₹80 in case of diesel in Mumbai.

This is the fifth straight day of price hike and the 14th increase in rates since November 20 when oil companies resumed daily price revision after nearly two-month hiatus.

Rates are now at the highest level since September 2018.

In 17 days, the petrol price has gone up by ₹2.35 per litre and diesel rate has risen by ₹3.15.

Brent crude oil has risen 34% from $36.9 per barrel on October 30 to $49.5 on December 4 — the last trading day — on hopes that COVID-19 vaccines would lead to demand recovery.

Prior to the November 20 hike in rates in India, petrol prices had been static since September 22 and diesel rates hadn’t changed since October 2.

Public sector oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — revise rates of petrol and diesel daily based on benchmark international oil price and foreign exchange rate.

They had, however, resorted to calibrating the rates since the pandemic broke out with a view to avoiding volatility in retail prices.

The 58-day hiatus in petrol price revision and 48-day status quo on diesel rates were preceded by no change in rates between June 30 and August 15 and an 85-day status quo between March 17 and June 6.

In Mumbai, the petrol price was raised to ₹90.05 per litre from ₹89.78, while diesel rates went up from ₹79.93 to ₹80.23.

Rates vary from State to State depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT.