Today's Diesel Price/Rate in Chennai

Oil companies such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum fix the diesel price in Chennai proportional with any changes in crude oil rates in the global market.

Factors Affecting Diesel Prices in Chennai

Diesel rates in Chennai include several components apart from primary factors such as crude oil price and the rupee exchange rate against the U.S. dollar. Oil companies include entry tax, freight charges, refinery charges, oil firm's margin and logistics before fixing the final selling price of diesel in a city. Dealer commission, excise duty charged by the Union Government and the VAT or local sales tax charged by the respective State are later included to the basic cost of fuel.

While the other charges remain constant most of the time, the primary factors of crude oil price and the exchange rate of rupee-dollar have the highest impact on diesel prices in the country. Let's understand why crude oil prices fluctuate and how it affects the fuel price in India.

1. Supply and Demand: The biggest suppliers of crude oil in the global market has been the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its strong allies, thereby influencing the price of crude oil in the market to a large extent. OPEC's policies are driven by geopolitical developments in the region. Hence, any pressure on any of the OPEC member countries often leads to a shortage in supply of crude oil, which raises the crude oil price in the international market. Likewise, if there's an increase in demand from other countries, oil prices tend to incline.
2. Geopolitical: Any crisis or natural disasters often influence the crude oil price in the market as it could lead to a shortage or an increase in demand for oil. Political upheaval or tensions in the oil-producing or oil-consuming nations, there's a huge impact on the prices of crude oil.
3. Supply of Crude Oil in the Future: The biggest oil-producing and oil-consuming nations stock up huge reserves of crude oil to keep their economy healthy in the event of a price increase of crude oil. They stock up when oil prices are lower and supply it across the economy to keep prices stable.

Diesel Price Calculation in Chennai

Now that we understand the factors influencing the fuel price in the country, here's how diesel price is calculated before it's sold in the city. Below is the breakup of the diesel price in Chennai recorded on 3 January 2019.

Diesel Price in Chennai Compared to other Metros

Diesel rates differ from city to city as well as from fuel station to fuel station. This is due to the tax rates, which vary from state to state. In Tamil Nadu, the state government levies 25% as VAT on diesel, while it charges 34% on the sale of petrol in the state. In Mumbai, diesel attracts VAT of 24%, in Kolkata, it's 17% or Rs.7.70 per litre (whichever is higher), and in Delhi, it's 16.75% + 25p Pollution Cess with Surcharge.

Diesel Price Vs. Petrol Price in Chennai

While the basic cost of fuel is the same for petrol and diesel, other charges lower the diesel rate. The taxes levied by the Centre as excise duty and the local sales tax or VAT charged by the respective State, are much lower than charged on the sale of petrol, making diesel prices in Chennai cheaper than petrol prices.

Is GST Applicable in Diesel?

India moved to a new taxation system known as the Goods and Service Tax (GST), which was introduced from 1 July 2017. Under this system, all goods and services were under one taxation in the country; however, five petroleum products such as diesel, petrol, crude oil, natural gas and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) were kept out of the ambit of GST.

Diesel and petrol continue to attract the Centre's excise duty and the respective state's local sales tax or VAT. The total tax incidence of excise duty and VAT is around 45-50% for petrol and 35-40% for diesel. Under the GST, the highest tax slab is 28%, which is comparatively lower, thereby impact the revenue earned by both the Centre and the State. The Centre could lose up to Rs.20,000 crore as revenue from the sale of fuel in the country, while the states want to keep their revenue to meet any contingency.

Also, GST is an ad valorem charge, which is levied as a percentage on the ex-factory price. This could lead to a sudden leap in retail prices whenever refinery gate rates are hiked due to the rise in the global crude oil prices and the reverse is also a possibility.

*Disclaimer: BankBazaar makes no guarantee or warranty on the accuracy of the data provided on this page, the prevailing prices are susceptible to change and provided on an as-is basis. We accept no liability for any loss arising from the use of the data contained on this website.