Fuel Prices in India, Prices in big cities:
Fuel Prices in India keep changing daily, and it’s important to stay updated with the latest petrol and diesel rates across major cities. In Delhi, the petrol price is Rs 94.77 per litre, while in Mumbai it stands at Rs 103.50. In Kolkata, petrol costs Rs 105.41, and in Chennai it is Rs 100.90 per litre. For diesel, the price in Delhi is Rs 87.67 per litre, in Mumbai Rs 90.03, in Kolkata Rs 92.02, and in Chennai Rs 92.48 per litre. To understand the fluctuations better, it’s essential to monitor the fuel-prices-in-india.
Prices compared to past:
Petrol has risen from approximately ₹60–₹70 per litre in 2015 to about ₹95 per litre in 2025 in Delhi. Compared to what the government promised about the lowering of the fuel prices after the implementation of the E20 Petrol, the prices have significantly increased or at least has not gone down since. That’s an increase of somewhere in the range of ~₹25 to ₹35 per litre, meaning petrol is now about 40-60% more expensive in nominal rupee terms than it was ten years ago, though the exact percentage depends on which 2015 base you take.
Diesel has similarly moved from ~₹45-₹52 per litre in 2015 to ~₹87.67 per litre in 2025, so an increase of around ₹35-₹45 per litre, nearly 70-90% higher than those older rates in many cases. Considering the new rules that are implemented on cars the diesel has slowly faded and is left only for big size cars and a fewer cars that come under the affordability criteria.
What is E20 Fuel?:
E20 fuel was introduced by the government, saying that it would cost less than the normal fuel. The E20 fuel is a mix of 20% ethanol in fuel. The government stated that it will not only benefit the consumers but also the famers who grow sugarcane, as Ethanol can be produced from sugarcane and it would be use for the E20 fuel.
Pros of E20 fuel:
The pros would be the cheaper rates of fuel, but that is not the case here. The only benefit of E20 is caused to sugarcane farmers as the ethanol used in E20 fuel is extracted from sugarcane. surely is is more economical compared to the normal fuel that we used to fill our vehicles with. As the E20 fuel produces less carbon emissions, it is more eco friendly to the nature and creates lesser pollution in the environment.
Major cons of E20 fuel:
The E20 fuel that consists of % ethanol, is considered harmful for non-compliant cars due to its corrosive nature. The major cons of the E20 fuel is its corrosive nature and it damages the vehicle. If we look at the origin of E20 fuel, it was promised to at cheaper rate but failed to make up to it. The other problem is the range it provides, The fuel now does not give the range that the previous E10 fuel used to give. And for majority of cars this fuel is not compatible.
Conclusion:
The E20 fuels does not offer any of things that it promised. It is expensive, gives low range, damages vehicles that are not compatible with it, and would force the customer to move towards E20 compatible vehicle. It is definitely economical and less harmful to the nature and generates lesser pollution in the environment. The only benefit goes to the farmers who give their helping hand in the production of ethanol. We can clearly see that the consumer suffers from the other aspects of E20 fuel where it is of no use for the consumer unless one uses an E20 compliant vehicle. The only replacement for the E20 fuel is using higher octane fuel. Using a higher octane fuel for a normal car does not make any sense as it is expensive and gives lesser range, but at least it does not damage the vehicle if used for a longer period of time.