Petrol and diesel prices increased for the third time in eight days on Saturday, May 23, 2026, by an average of 90 paise per litre across the country. Compressed natural gas prices in parts of North India also rose by ₹1 per kg for the third time in the same period. In Delhi, petrol reached ₹99.51 per litre after an 87 paise increase, while diesel rose 91 paise to ₹92.49 per litre. CNG in Delhi is now ₹81.09 per kg. Since the first hike on May 15, both fuels have risen by about ₹4.8 per litre in three stages. The initial increase was ₹3 per litre, followed by two rounds of roughly 90 paise on May 19 and May 23. The changes follow higher crude oil prices due to conflict in West Asia, adding pressure on oil marketing companies. After the first hike, officials said losses would fall by about ₹250 crore daily to around ₹750 crore. Premium variants also increased, with premium diesel at ₹97.81 per litre and XP95 petrol at ₹106.63 per litre in Delhi. Kolkata saw steeper rises, with petrol up 94 paise to ₹110.64 and diesel up 95 paise to ₹97.02. Mumbai and Chennai recorded smaller changes. CNG prices rose in several northern cities. India’s crude basket averaged $107.96 per barrel in May, with Brent at $104.25. In Bengaluru, petrol is now ₹108.09 per litre and diesel ₹95.99 per litre.
