India raised the export duty on petrol to INR 2.5 per litre and reduced the duty on diesel to INR 8.5 per litre from 16 October 2026, while keeping the levy on aviation turbine fuel unchanged at INR 10.5 per litre. The revised rates apply under the Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) following the government’s latest fortnightly review.
India has raised the export duty on petrol to INR 2.5 per litre from INR 0.5 and cut the duty on diesel to INR 8.5 per litre from INR 16, according to a finance ministry notification. The revised rates took effect today, 16 October 2026. The export duty on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) remains unchanged at INR 10.5 per litre.
The rates cover the Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) and no road and infrastructure cess (RIC) applies to exports of petrol, diesel and ATF. The revision follows the previous one, which took effect on 1 October. The government reviews the duties every fortnight, based on average international prices of crude oil and the respective fuels since the last review.
India first imposed windfall taxes on fuel exports in July 2022 and withdrew them two years later. It reintroduced the levy in March 2026, after crude oil prices rose sharply during the US-Israeli war on Iran. Export duties on diesel and ATF were imposed on 27 March 2026, and the levy on petrol exports was added from 16 May.
The tax was intended to discourage exports, protect domestic supplies of petroleum products and prevent exporters from benefiting unduly from differences between domestic and international prices. The revised export duties do not affect existing excise duty rates on petrol and diesel sold for domestic consumption.
Earlier, India’s Finance Ministry reduced the windfall gains tax on exports of petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF), with the revised levies taking effect from 16 September 2026.
