Diesel Price Today in India 2026

Today's Diesel Rate in India – 26 September 2026

Diesel keeps India moving. It runs most of the country's trucks and buses, tractors and irrigation pump sets, and the generators that power homes, shops and offices during power cuts — which makes it the most widely used fuel in India. This page lists today's diesel price per litre for more than 800 cities and every state and union territory, updated daily with the rates published at 6:00 AM.

Diesel prices matter even if you don't drive a diesel vehicle. When diesel becomes costlier, so does transporting vegetables, grain, milk and almost everything else sold in the market.

How Diesel Prices Are Decided in India

Diesel prices were deregulated in October 2014, ending the system in which the government fixed the retail price and oil companies were compensated for selling below cost. Since 16 June 2017, the public-sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) — have followed daily dynamic pricing: rates are reviewed and published every day at 6 AM, based on international fuel prices and the rupee–dollar exchange rate. In practice, prices can stay unchanged for weeks or months at a stretch, and they move sharply when the Centre or a state changes its tax.

Private fuel retailers such as Jio-bp, Nayara Energy and Shell set their own prices, which usually stay close to the public-sector rates.

What makes up the price of one litre of diesel

Central excise duty and state VAT together make up a large part of what you pay at the pump, so a tax change moves the diesel price far more than a small rise or fall in crude oil.

Why Diesel Is Usually Cheaper Than Petrol

In almost every state, a litre of diesel costs less than a litre of petrol. The difference is mostly about tax, not the fuel itself: the Centre charges a lower excise duty on diesel, and most states charge a lower VAT on it too. Governments have traditionally kept diesel taxes lower because farmers, transporters and public transport depend on it, and costlier diesel pushes up food and freight prices across the economy.

The refined cost of diesel is not always lower than that of petrol — on international markets, diesel sometimes costs more. So the gap you see on the price board is largely a policy choice.

Why Diesel Prices Differ From State to State

• State VAT: the biggest reason. Each state sets its own VAT on diesel, and some also add a cess or surcharge. Because VAT is usually charged as a percentage, a high-VAT state ends up noticeably costlier.
• Freight: places far from a refinery or fuel depot, such as hill states and the north-east, have higher transport costs.
• Local levies: a few states and cities add their own charges on top of VAT.

Central excise duty is the same across the country, so it does not explain these differences. Transporters who run long routes often plan refuelling stops in states where diesel is cheaper.

How Diesel Prices Affect Inflation

Most goods in India travel by road on diesel-powered trucks. When diesel prices rise, transporters raise freight rates, and that increase shows up in the prices of fruits, vegetables, grain and other everyday goods — and often in bus and taxi fares. Farmers feel it directly too, because tractors, harvesters and diesel pump sets run on it during sowing and harvest. That is why diesel prices are watched closely whenever inflation is discussed.

BS-VI, Premium and Bulk Diesel

• BS-VI diesel: since 1 April 2020, all diesel sold in India meets BS-VI standards, with sulphur content cut to 10 ppm from the 50 ppm allowed under BS-IV. It is much cleaner and is needed by modern BS-VI engines.
• Premium diesel: additive-enriched diesel such as IndianOil XtraMile, BPCL Speed Diesel and HPCL Turbojet, sold at a higher price. The additives help keep fuel injectors clean.
• Bulk and retail diesel: large buyers such as Indian Railways, state transport undertakings and factories that buy directly from oil companies pay a separate bulk price, which can be higher or lower than the pump price. The prices on this page are retail pump prices.

How to Check the Diesel Price at Your Nearest Pump

• On this page: search for your city or state in the tables above. Rates are updated every day.
• Oil company apps: the IndianOil ONE, HelloBPCL and HP Pay apps show the price at outlets near you.
• By SMS: every petrol pump displays a dealer code. Send it to the oil company that runs the pump:
  • Indian Oil — RSP <dealer code> to 92249 92249
  • Bharat Petroleum — RSP <dealer code> to 92231 12222
  • Hindustan Petroleum — HPPRICE <dealer code> to 92222 01122
• At the pump: every outlet displays the day's diesel price on its price board.

How to Calculate Your Diesel Cost

For a vehicle: monthly diesel cost = (kilometres driven in a month ÷ mileage in km per litre) × diesel price per litre. An SUV that covers 1,500 km a month at 14 km per litre uses about 107 litres — roughly ₹9,643 a month at ₹90 a litre.

For a tractor, pump set or generator: diesel cost = hours of use × litres used per hour × diesel price per litre. A pump set that runs 5 hours a day and uses 2 litres an hour needs 10 litres a day — about ₹900 a day at ₹90 a litre.

Swap ₹90 for today's rate in your city from the table above.

Tips to Save on Diesel

• Keep tyres correctly inflated and wheels aligned — this matters even more for loaded trucks.
• Service on schedule: clean air and fuel filters and well-maintained injectors improve mileage.
• Avoid overloading; carrying more than the rated load raises fuel use and wear.
• Drive at a steady speed and avoid unnecessary idling, including long warm-ups.
• Match the generator to your actual load — a large generator running at a light load wastes diesel.
• Farmers can look at solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme to cut diesel use for irrigation.
• Fleet owners can use oil-company fleet cards for discounts, tracking and rewards on every fill.

Diesel prices on this page are updated daily from the latest published rates. The price at an individual pump may differ by a few paise depending on the oil company and location.