



Why aren’t petrol prices rising in India despite global crude surge?
crude prices translates quickly into higher fuel costs. In the US, for instance, a gallon of regular petrol that averaged $2.94 in February now costs $3.58—a 20% increase—according to AAA Fuel Prices, a retail fuel price tracker from the American Automobile Association.In contrast, petrol in cities like Mumbai has held steady at around ₹103 per litre in recent weeks.At the core of this stability are state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) such as Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum.When international prices surge, these companies often absorb the increase instead of passing it on immediately to consumers.According to Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda, "In the interest of social stability and to shield the common citizen from sudden inflationary shocks, domestic oil marketing companies often maintain steady product prices even as global crude costs climb.
This vital buffer remains in place until international benchmarks reach more critical thresholds, typically above the $100 per barrel mark over a longer period of time, say 2 to 3 months."In practical terms, even if refinery costs rise sharply—from around ₹55 per litre to significantly higher levels—OMCs may take a hit on margins to keep retail prices stable. Conversely, when crude prices fall, some of the gains are retained by these companies to offset earlier losses.Fuel pricing in India is a layered construct.The base is the Refinery Transfer Price—the cost of processing crude.
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