OMC petrol and diesel prices hold steady in major cities after May increases

State-owned oil marketing companies’ fuel prices were largely unchanged on August 16. Delhi petrol stood at ₹102.12 per litre and diesel at ₹95.20, while petrol remained above ₹110 in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

— Source published Sun, 16 Aug, 2026, 09:35 IST · First seen Sun, 16 Aug, 2026, 09:40 IST · Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

State-owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) · Petrol and diesel prices across major Indian cities were largely unchanged on August 16 after state-owned OMCs’ May

Key facts

  • Petrol price increase since May 25: ₹2.61 per litre
  • Diesel price increase since May 25: ₹2.71 per litre
  • Delhi petrol: ₹102.12/litre
  • Delhi diesel: ₹95.20/litre
  • Hyderabad petrol: ₹115.69/litre
  • Hyderabad diesel: ₹103.82/litre
  • Kolkata petrol: ₹113.51/litre
  • Kolkata diesel: ₹99.82/litre
  • Mumbai petrol: ₹111.21/litre
  • Mumbai diesel: ₹97.83/litre
  • Bengaluru petrol: ₹111.68/litre
  • Bengaluru diesel: ₹99.56/litre
  • Chennai petrol: ₹107.76/litre
  • Chennai diesel: ₹99.55/litre

Why this matters

Steady, higher fuel prices reinforce the strategic value of high-throughput retail sites and non-fuel revenue assets, while regulated pricing remains a key diligence risk.

What to watch

  • Brent crude sustaining above roughly $85-$90 per barrel.
  • Sharp INR depreciation or widening petrol/diesel refining cracks.
  • A formal OMC price revision, dealer-commission change or government directive on retail fuel pricing.
  • Higher freight surcharges from logistics providers and e-commerce delivery platforms.
  • Transport CPI acceleration and renewed broad-based FMCG price increases.
  • Track crude oil, INR/USD and Singapore refined-product benchmarks for margin pressure on OMCs.
  • Monitor monthly CPI transport and food readings for freight-cost pass-through into consumer prices.
  • Watch OMC quarterly disclosures for marketing-margin trends, inventory gains/losses and capex guidance.
  • Assess retailer responses in delivery-heavy categories, including minimum-order thresholds, shipping fees and selective SKU price increases.
  • Compare fuel-price divergence across major cities, where local taxes can amplify demand sensitivity and consumer trade-down.