Petrol Price Today: 23 Sept 2025 Fuel Rates in Major Cities

New Delhi, September 23: Petrol prices across India have stayed exactly where they are for yet another day, offering a rare spell of stability in a sector that usually makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. The official figures this morning show no hikes or cuts in any of the big cities. For commuters, it means the same meter readings, the same bills, and at least one less thing to worry about in a week already clouded by rising grocery costs.

No Surprises At The Pump

In Delhi, a litre of petrol still costs ₹94.77. Mumbai drivers are shelling out ₹103.50, which has now become routine in the country’s financial capital. Hyderabad’s rate is higher, ₹107.46, while Kolkata stands at ₹105.41. Chennai, by comparison, remains slightly easier on the pocket at just under ₹101.

The only changes spotted today were in smaller towns of Uttar Pradesh, where prices shifted by a few paise. That kind of movement is typically down to transport costs and local tax adjustments rather than any big policy shift. For most Indians, petrol is costing exactly what it did yesterday.

GST Talk But No Action

What’s keeping fuel prices so rigid, despite weeks of chatter about tax reforms? The recent GST overhaul had sparked speculation that petrol and diesel might finally move under the national tax system. If that had happened, consumers could have seen more uniform pricing across states. But the government kept fuels outside the GST bracket, leaving state VAT and central excise duties firmly in place.

As a result, there’s no relief yet for drivers in high-tax states like Maharashtra, who continue to pay far more than their counterparts in Delhi or Lucknow. As one analyst put it in a Telugu-language business daily, “Without consensus between Centre and states, GST on fuel is just talk, not policy.”

A Breather For Inflation, For Now

For households already juggling higher vegetable and cereal prices, the lack of movement in petrol comes as a small mercy. If fuel were to shoot up, the ripple effects on transport, logistics, and almost every consumer good would have been immediate. The Reserve Bank of India, too, will take comfort in this pause as it prepares its next monetary policy decision.

That said, the calm is precarious. Global crude oil prices have been swinging sharply in recent weeks, tied to OPEC supply moves and economic slowdowns in Europe and China. India imports nearly 85 percent of its crude needs, which means any international flare-up can be passed down to Indian consumers without much warning.

Politics In The Mix

The timing of this stability is not lost on anyone watching politics. With state elections around the corner in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Haryana, the government has every reason to avoid fuelling voter anger at the pump. It would not be the first time New Delhi chose to swallow some of the pressure rather than risk public backlash ahead of the polls.

But there’s a catch. The Centre and states rely heavily on petrol and diesel taxes to keep their finances afloat. If revenues begin to slide, the stability could quickly unravel, or worse, be offset by higher taxes elsewhere. The question of shifting petrol and diesel to GST will keep returning, but the states are unlikely to give up that much revenue without a fight.

Looking Ahead

For now, the daily ritual of checking the fuel app brings no surprises. Drivers, shopkeepers, truck operators, everyone is filling up at yesterday’s rates. That routine may not sound dramatic, but in a country where inflation has a way of ambushing households, stable petrol prices are a quiet relief.

Still, nobody is betting on this lasting too long. One swing in global crude, one unexpected tax tweak, and the numbers on those petrol boards could change overnight. Until then, Indians will take what they can get: a steady litre at a steady price.

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