Petrol And Diesel Prices Hold Steady On March 18 Across Major Cities

Petrol and diesel prices were steady across major Indian cities on March 18, 2026, which marked the fourth consecutive day of stable retail fuel prices.

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Rates In Major Cities

The fuel prices in all these cities remained stagnant. The price per liter of petrol in Delhi was ₹94.77, while that of diesel was ₹87.67 per liter. In Mumbai, the price per liter of petrol was ₹103.50, while that of diesel was ₹90.03 per liter. The price per liter of petrol in Kolkata was ₹105.45, while that of diesel was ₹92.02 per liter. The price per liter of petrol in Chennai was ₹100.90, while that of diesel was ₹92.48 per liter.

The price per liter of petrol in Hyderabad was ₹107.50, while that of diesel was ₹95.70 per liter. The price per liter of petrol in Bengaluru was ₹102.96, while that of diesel was ₹90.99 per liter. The price per liter of petrol in Lucknow was ₹94.69, while that of diesel was ₹87.81 per liter. The price per liter of petrol in Ahmedabad was ₹94.49, while that of diesel was ₹90.17 per liter.
How Prices Are Set

In India, fuel prices are adjusted every day at 6 AM. This is done by Oil Marketing Companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

The fuel prices are revised on the basis of global crude oil prices as well as the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

Changes In Supply Terms

Fuel supply practices have also seen changes in recent days. Oil marketing companies have shifted to advance payment systems for supplying fuel to retail outlets.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited have been supplying fuel against advance payments since last week. Indian Oil Corporation has discontinued its five-day revolving credit facility, according to Mint.

Factors Affecting Fuel Prices

Prices of crude oil are still the major factor affecting fuel prices, as the country depends on crude oil imports to fulfill a substantial portion of the demand.

In addition, changes in the exchange rate will affect fuel prices as changes in the rupee value against the dollar will impact the cost of crude oil.

Taxes levied by the government, both at the central and state level, are one of the major contributors to the cost of fuel, thus resulting in differences in the prices of fuel across various states.

Fuel prices remained steady across all cities on March 18, with no changes announced during the day.