Govt Slashes Excise Duty On Diesel, Petrol By Rs 10 Per Litre Amid War In West Asia New Delhi, Mar 27 (KNN) The central government on Friday said that it has cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre each to provide protection to consumers from rise in prices of fuel triggered by war in West Asia. As per a government notification issued on March 26, special additional excise duties on petrol has been cut to Rs 3 per litre from Rs 13 per litre earlier. The duty on diesel has been slashed to Nil from Rs 10 per litre earlier. The notification has come into force with immediate effect. At the same time, the government has imposed duties on exports of diesel at Rs 21.5 per litre and on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) at Rs 29.5 per litre. This will ensure adequate availability of these products for domestic consumption. The Parliament has been notified about the same, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. The ongoing war between Iran and US-Israel has been driving up fuel prices globally. As one of the key sea trade routes passing through Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed, the global crude oil supply has been severely affected. Amid supply constraints, international crude prices have gone through the roof in the last one month from around USD 70 a barrel to around USD 122 a barrel. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said that the global situation remains in flux and India is closely monitoring developments across energy, supply chains, and essential commodities on a real-time basis. India has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of global uncertainties, and we will continue to act in a timely, proactive, and coordinated manner, Puri said in a post on micro-blogging site X. He also rubbished the rumours of a lockdown in India due to fuel supply chain disruptions stating that such talks are completely false. Let me state this clearly, there is no such proposal under consideration by the Government of India. In such times, it is important that we remain calm, responsible, and united,“ he emphasised. Speaking in Parliament on the West Asia crisis earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had remarked that the difficult global conditions caused by this war are likely to persist for a long time and called upon the nation to remain prepared and united, just as it had stood together during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mention of Covid pandemic and call for national unity in facing the latest crisis stoked concerns among a section of the public that challenging times could be ahead in case the war prolonged. In recent days there have been complaints of restricted supply of cooking gas and delay in delivery of LPG gas cylinders. At some petrol pumps in the country, long queues were witnessed with many motorists anticipating fuel shortage. The government has however allayed fears of fuel shortage in the country and assured people of unhindered supply of cooking gas as well as auto fuels. It has repeatedly said that the country has sufficient reserves of fuel. (KNN Bureau)
March 27, 2026