BS VI petrol, diesel likely to pinch more due to higher refining costs

Mumbai: Customers may have to shell out more for petrol and diesel from April as fuel retailers are looking to pass on the higher cost of producing Bharat Stage VI-compliant fuel, said two senior officials at the companies.

This would help the state-run fuel retailers recoup their investments in upgrading their refineries to produce the cleaner fuel, the officials said, requesting anonymity. They said a final decision would be subject to government approval. The refiners are estimated to have spent more than ₹30,000 crore to improve their facilities, with India set to implement BS VI emission norms, the equivalent of Euro VI, from 1 April.

“We have made large investments in upgrading to BS VI and we need to get a return on our investments. This is only logical. The thought process is to recover cost and not profit-making,” one of the two officials cited earlier said on condition of anonymity.