The month of June 2026 was historic for the Indian automobile industry. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), a total of 25,57,234 vehicles were retailed across the country, which is 21.83 percent more than in June last year. This is the biggest figure for the month of June so far, but the real surprise is in the EV segment. Total EV retail sales of two-wheeler, three-wheeler, passenger and commercial vehicles reached 3,06,220 units. This is the largest figure of any month and the total penetration of EV has reached 12.5 percent. But the question is where will so many EV vehicles be charged…

What do the record sales figures in June say?

According to FADA, retail sales of EV cars in the passenger vehicle (car and SUV) segment stood at a record 31,823 units. But what is more important is that for the first time the total share of CNG, hybrid and electric vehicles reached 40.35 percent. This means that two out of every five cars sold in June were either CNG, hybrid or fully electric.

The share of CNG was 24.33 percent, hybrid was 8.27 percent and EV was 7.75 percent. In June last year, this figure was 33.3 percent. The share of petrol and diesel vehicles fell below 60 percent for the first time.

The share of EV two-wheeler reached 10.60 percent for the first time. In June last year it was 7.34 percent. The three-wheeler segment was already inclined towards EV, but now the share of EV has reached 64.08 percent. EV penetration in commercial vehicles also reached a record 3.5 percent.

FADA President CS Vigneshwar said that be it city or village, demand is increasing everywhere. The rural market is growing faster than the urban market. Rural sales increased by 35.1 percent in June, while urban sales increased by 24.7 percent.

The Mathematics of Charging Stations: Statistics, State and Reality

The government presented figures in the Rajya Sabha till March 1, 2026. 27,737 public EV charging stations have been installed across the country. But out of these only 22,753 are operational. This means that about 5,000 charging stations are either broken or have not been operational.

Apart from this, 9,332 charging stations were sanctioned under the FAME-II scheme. As of March 1, 2026, only 6,645 of these were operational. That means even under FAME-II, about 2,700 stations are still lying on paper or closed.

State wise figures are also interesting. Maximum 957 chargers were installed in Tamil Nadu under FAME-II. After this there are Uttar Pradesh (937) and Maharashtra (670). But if we talk about being operational, Maharashtra made 615 out of 670 operational, while Uttar Pradesh made only 456 out of 937.

According to the report of JMK Research, by December 2025 there were 29,151 public charging stations across the country. Of these, Karnataka alone has 20.91 percent share with 6,096 stations. Maharashtra is at second place with 4,166 stations (14.29 percent), followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,780 and Telangana with 1,062 stations. That is, the three southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana together control more than 30 percent of the public charging stations in the country.

Actually, it is not just about numbers. Lack of fast charger is a big problem. There are less than 20 percent fast chargers of 50kW+ in the country. This means that most of the chargers are slow and it takes hours for the car to be fully charged. 235 EV vehicles come on one fast charger. In the rest of the EV markets in the world, this ratio ranges between 6:1 to 20:1, that is, there are 6 to 20 vehicles on one charger, whereas in India it is 235 vehicles on one charger.

To reach NITI Aayog’s target of 30 percent EV penetration, about 13 lakh charging stations are needed by 2030. Currently there are 29,000-30,000, which means by 2030, 40 times more chargers will have to be made. At this pace it doesn’t seem to be happening.

Not just numbers, there are other real problems with charging

First problem: The charger is made, but why doesn’t it work?

This is not a new thing. Same is the situation everywhere including Delhi, Goa and Karnataka. One-third of EV charging stations in Goa have become non-functional or decommissioned. BESCOM installed charging stations in Tumkuru, Karnataka, but due to lack of power supply, they are lying idle. About 25,000 electric vehicles are registered in Faridabad, but there is not a single government public charging station. More than half of the EV charging stations allotted under MCD have not yet become operational.

Second problem: hassle of charging at home

About 45 percent of Indian homes require electrical upgrades for EV charging. The report of Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) and Kazam states that residential charging can become the biggest obstacle to electric vehicles. That means old wiring, parking problems and the ability to handle the electrical load are all hindrances.

Third problem: How will the electricity grid handle it?

Fast charger (350kW) draws electricity equivalent to 50-70 houses at a time. Old transformers cannot handle this load. The National Smart Grid Mission has already warned that uncontrolled EV charging can put pressure on the grid and affect the electricity supply. Voltage fluctuations, poor earthing and informal connections pose safety risks to EV charging in small towns.

However, it is also a matter of relief that the annual electricity demand of all EVs across the country is 20.07 terawatt-hour, which is only about 1.1 percent of India’s annual electricity production. That means there is no overall power shortage, but the challenge of load management at the local level is big.

Fourth difficulty: urban prejudice and the loneliness of the highway

About 77 percent of chargers are concentrated in cities (Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai). Highways and tier-2 cities have been left deprived. E-trucks and e-buses are most needed on the highways, but there are no chargers there. That means EV is still a vehicle for cities, not for long distance travel.

What are the government and industry doing?

PM E-DRIVE Scheme is the biggest weapon of the government, which has a total budget of Rs 10,900 crore. Out of this, Rs 2,000 crore is only for charging infrastructure. 14,028 electric buses will also be deployed under this scheme. Recently, approval of Rs 503.86 crore has been given, through which 4,874 new EV chargers will be installed.

These chargers will be installed in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Of these, Karnataka alone will get 1,243 chargers. Government oil companies HPCL, IOCL and BPCL will install them.

The central government is also building a ‘Unified Bharat e-Charge (UBC)’ app, which will allow EV users to find, access and pay for all charging networks on a single platform. It is being described as ‘UPI’ for EV.

Under the FAME-II scheme, Rs 912.50 crore was allocated for EV charging infrastructure, of which Rs 655.43 crore has been spent.

Private sector is also not behind. Tata Power has installed more than 5,500 charging stations in more than 700 cities and towns. Bolt.Earth has deployed more than 1,00,000 chargers. Indofast Energy deployed 1,600 battery swap stations across 23 cities by the end of FY26 and onboarded more than 90,000 vehicles. Energy in Motion launches country’s largest battery swapping and charging hub for heavy EVs at JNPT Port.

Battery Swapping: Is This the Way Out?

Apart from charging, there is another way – battery swapping. Especially for two-wheelers and three-wheelers. TDB-DST has supported InfinityX Innovations for automated, IoT-enabled battery swapping stations that can change an entire battery in less than 40 seconds. This can make a big difference, especially for commercial fleets and last-mile delivery segments.

What is the solution to this matter?

Experts say that the solution to the problem of charging infrastructure does not lie only in increasing the number of stations. Four things need to be worked on:

• Strengthening the Grid: Old transformers and distribution systems will have to be upgraded. Measures like smart charging solutions and time-of-use tariffs (i.e. cheaper electricity at night) are being worked on.
• Eliminating urban bias: Charging stations will have to be increased on highways and in Tier-2, Tier-3 cities. Solar-hybrid stations can reduce grid dependence by up to 40 percent with panels and batteries. Can be a good option for remote highways.
• Standardization: Connector standards like CCS2 and Bharat DC-001 should be the same across countries, so that every charger will work on every vehicle. Bureau of Indian Standards has issued standards related to connectors, communication protocols and battery swapping systems.
• Increase investment: A charging station (50-120kW) costs Rs 20-45 lakh. Investors fear that they will not get returns. It takes 3-6 months for the permit. Here the government will have to help by providing subsidy and land.

The morning of June 24, 2026 brought a big relief news for India. America has lifted the sanctions on Iran’s crude oil. But this is not just a diplomatic news for India, rather it is going to have a direct impact on the prices of petrol and diesel, inflation and the government treasury. Let us understand the explainer why India can benefit so much from this step of America…

First understand what has happened?

In 2018, when Donald Trump became the President of America for the first time, he imposed strict sanctions on Iran. Many countries including Iran were banned from buying oil from Iran. As a result, India had to give up its favorite and cheap Iranian oil. But now in 2026, the Trump administration has once again opened the same path.

A peace agreement has been signed between America and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and under this, America announced the lifting of the ban on Iranian crude oil. This relaxation has been given till 21st August 2026, that is, it is a temporary relief, but it is of great importance for India even in a short time.

India’s oil story and Iran’s role

India is the third largest oil importing country in the world and imports more than 85 percent of its crude oil requirement from outside. There was a time when Iran was the second largest oil supplier to India. Before the sanctions, India used to buy about 4.5 lakh barrels per day of Iranian oil every month. But after 2019 this figure became absolutely zero. Since then, India has increased its oil purchases from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and especially Russia. After the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian oil came to the top in India’s basket.

The discount available on Russian oil is continuously decreasing. Many times its final cost increases due to problems in shipping and insurance. In such a situation, opening the route to Iran can prove to be four boons for India:

1. Cheap oil and low import bill

Iranian crude is usually 8 to 10 dollars cheaper per barrel than Brent crude. Iran also often offers better credit terms and lower freight charges on its oil, because India is an old and reliable customer for it. When you buy millions of barrels of oil, the savings of $8-10 per barrel directly reduces the import bill by billions of dollars.

If we look at the government data, India’s total crude oil import bill had crossed approximately $ 140 billion in the financial year 2025-26. If even some part of this amount is shifted to cheap Iranian oil, it will not only save foreign exchange but will also control the current account deficit. This has a direct impact on the strength of the rupee.

2. Effect on petrol-diesel and inflation

With the arrival of cheap crude oil, the costs of companies will reduce and if the government wants, it can extend its benefits to the common man. The prices of petrol and diesel have been stable for some time now, but the pressure of turmoil in the international market always remains. Iranian oil provides companies with the opportunity to improve margins and, if necessary, scope to cut prices.

This has an even bigger impact on inflation. Crude oil prices are not limited to just fuel, they make everything from vegetables to milk expensive by increasing transportation costs. Cheaper oil means cheaper transportation of all items, which can provide relief to the kitchen budget.

3. Opportunity to reduce dependence on Russia and the Middle East

For India, it is not just a question of price but also of strategy. At present, our oil imports are largely dependent on a few countries like Russia, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Being too dependent on any one supplier is not good for the energy security of any country.

Iran’s withdrawal will give India an opportunity to further increase its oil sources. This is a kind of risk management, that is, if there is any interruption in supply from Russia or OPEC+ countries cut production further, then Iran will be a better option.

According to a Times of India report, India is also a good buyer of high-sulphur crude for its refineries. Iran’s oil fits perfectly in this context. India’s refineries like Jamnagar, Vadodara and Mangalore can easily process Iranian grades.

4. Easy way to pay

Earlier, India used to pay Iran in rupees, a part of which Iran used to spend on the purchase of Indian goods. This promoted two-way trade and reduced dependence on the dollar. However, the report of Financial Express clearly says that it is not yet clear how payment will be made in this temporary exemption.

Experts believe that the old rupee-riyal currency arrangement can be resumed. If this happens then it will be like icing on the cake for India. On one side, cheap oil and on the other side, shopping without spending dollars.

But is it so easy to buy oil?

Foreign affairs expert and JNU professor Rajan Kumar says, ‘This is not a completely rosy picture, because this relaxation is only till August 21, 2026. This means that there will be a limit to the amount of Iranian oil that India can buy in less than two months. Ordering so much oil in such a short time can pose challenges in shipping, insurance and logistics.

According to CNBC report, this relief is completely dependent on the implementation of the peace agreement. If tensions increase again, restrictions may be imposed.

Apart from this, the statement of the US State Department clearly states that this is a limited and conditional exemption. This means that India will have to take steps very carefully so that other aspects of US sanctions are not violated.

What steps did the Indian government take to purchase oil?

The Indian government and oil companies have already started preparations to get the first consignment from Iran as soon as possible. Big companies like Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum have started talks on commercial terms. It is expected that if this exemption is extended, India can once again become Iran’s largest oil customer.

Petrol-Diesel Price Hike: Amidst the war in Iran and ongoing tension in West Asia, the prices of petrol and diesel in India have been increased a total of 4 times in the last month. After this increase, petrol and diesel have become costlier by Rs 7.5 per liter overall. After a long gap of last four years, this increase in prices was done due to tension in the Middle East.

However, despite this increase in prices, government oil companies are still incurring a loss of about Rs 5.5 per liter on petrol and about Rs 4.5 per liter on diesel. Including these, companies are still incurring a total loss of more than Rs 550-600 crore every day, which is not good in the long run.

Will there be another increase of Rs 5?

ICRA and financial analysts believe that if oil companies have to reach ‘no profit, no loss’ situation, then another increase of Rs 5 per liter in retail prices may be required. Analysts are calling this increase necessary, but the government is avoiding allowing the full increase to oil companies immediately to keep inflation under control at the retail level. As an alternative, the government has also tried to handle this burden itself by making some cuts in excise duty.

crude oil prices

India imports about 85% of its crude oil requirement from abroad. Currently Brent crude is around $92-95 per barrel. This price level is fine for Indian oil companies. In such a situation, they do not feel any immediate need to increase the retail prices. Pressure on oil companies to increase prices comes when crude oil crosses $100 per barrel and remains at that level for several weeks. There is no such serious situation right now.

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Not even 24 days have passed since the election results of 5 states have come and inflation is continuously hurting the pockets of the common man. From petrol-diesel to CNG and edible oil, the price graph seems to be moving upwards everywhere. Why did the prices which were stable during the elections suddenly start increasing? How much more shock is still left? After all, where will this speed stop? Understand complete accounting…

Petrol and Diesel: Box of inflation opened after four years

There was no increase in the prices of petrol and diesel for the last four years. But on May 15, 2026, the prices increased for the first time and then it seemed as if the trend had started. This is the fourth increase in the last 10 days. If we look at the latest figures, on May 25, petrol became costlier by Rs 2.61 per liter and diesel by Rs 2.71 per liter.

After this latest shock, the price of petrol in Delhi has reached Rs 102.12 per liter and the price of diesel has reached Rs 95.20 per liter. The real reason behind these increases is the ongoing geopolitical tension in West Asia. The ongoing conflict between Iran and America has greatly affected the prices of crude oil in the international market. Due to this war, the Indian government tried to protect the general public from the direct impact of the global crisis for 75 days, but during this time the government oil companies were suffering huge losses of about Rs 1,000 crore every day.

LPG: Relief for family members, but trouble for dhaba owners

The government has given big relief to domestic consumers on the LPG cylinder front. There has been no change in the price of 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder and its price in Delhi still remains at Rs 913. But those who run hotels, dhabas or restaurants have been hit hard by inflation. From May 1, 2026, there was a huge one-time increase of Rs 993 in the price of 19 kg commercial cylinder. After this increase, the price of a commercial cylinder in Delhi has increased to Rs 3,071.50.

CNG: Rs 6 per kg in 11 days

There is bad news for those who had turned to CNG to avoid petrol and diesel. On May 26, 2026, the price of CNG was once again increased by Rs 2 per kg, which is the fourth increase within two weeks. After this, the price of CNG in Delhi reached Rs 83.09 per kg. Since May 15, there has been an overall increase of about Rs 6 per kg on CNG. In NCR areas like Noida, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida, this price has reached Rs 91.70 per kg.

Edible oil: Inflation is spoiling the kitchen budget

This heat of inflation has now reached your kitchen directly. Edible oil companies are preparing to increase prices by 5 to 10 percent in the month of May itself. In the last few months, companies have already increased prices by Rs 8 to Rs 20 per liter. The reason for this is that due to the cost of crude oil, the demand for biofuel increases, due to which edible oils start being used more in making biodiesel. About 25 percent of edible oil is now being used in making biodiesel, due to which there is a shortage in the market and a rise in prices is being seen.

How much more is left to grow, where will this pace stop?

At present there is no sign of relief. According to Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, even after the current increase, the losses of government oil companies have not been completely eliminated. Even now they are incurring a loss of around Rs 600 crore every day.

Oil companies say that the increase made so far is able to compensate only 10% of their increased losses. In such a situation, it is considered certain that the prices will increase further in the coming 3-4 months. Due to the ongoing tension in West Asia, crude oil prices will continue to fluctuate. Whenever there is any hope of a peace agreement in the region, the prices of crude oil start coming down, but as soon as the talks prove to be inconclusive, uncertainty increases in the market and the prices start skyrocketing again.

Experts believe that there will be pressure on prices in the coming one or two months and they may remain at a high level. But if everything goes well, relief may start coming from July 2026 onwards and prices are expected to be largely normal by the end of the year. Real relief will come only when either the Strait of Hormuz opens completely or a concrete peace agreement is reached between America and Iran.

The government has the option of cutting excise duty, as was done on March 27, but this is a limited and temporary measure. If the global situation does not improve then the common man may have to bear this shock. The opposition has also started cornering the government on this issue and has alleged that the prices were deliberately kept stable during the elections and are being continuously increased as soon as the results are declared.

Brent & WTI Decline: There has been positive progress in the ongoing peace talks between America and Iran. With this, the market is hopeful that the ‘Strait of Hormuz’, which was closed for the last 3 months, will reopen and the supply of crude oil in the world will become normal.

After this news, the prices of Tej have fallen sharply in the international markets today. Global benchmark Brent crude fell 5.4% to $97.97 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was trading below $92.

This fall in crude oil prices is a matter of great relief for India, which imports more than 85% of its oil requirement. Here, amidst the falling prices of crude oil, government oil companies in India have increased the prices of petrol and diesel by about Rs 7.50 in the last 10 days. Of course, it is natural to think that the prices of petrol and diesel in the country will come down in the coming time, whereas in reality it is not so.

Why will the price of petrol and diesel increase?

According to the report of financial experts and Kotak Securities, the calculations of oil companies are still not correct amidst the rising prices of petrol and diesel in the country. The Iran-America war, which started on February 28, has brought down the prices of crude oil from $70 per barrel to $114 per barrel. Meanwhile, oil companies did not increase prices for 76 days and bore the burden of expensive imports.

Livemint’s financial experts say that since the start of the war in both the countries, there has been a huge jump of 39% in the cost of crude oil, whereas in comparison, the prices of petrol and diesel have been increased only by 3-7%. In such a situation, companies may have to theoretically increase prices by Rs 11-14 per liter to recover their entire losses.

This is also a reason for increasing prices

Another reason for the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel is that even though the prices of crude oil have fallen to the level of $ 98 per barrel today, the tension on Hormuz is still not completely over. Even if peace talks between America and Iran are successful, it will take time for the situation to become normal.

On top of this, due to this geopolitical crisis, the marine insurance premium and freight charges of oil tankers coming from America and Northern Europe have increased significantly. This will ultimately be compensated by increasing retail prices.

losses are still being incurred

Even after increasing the prices of petrol and diesel 4 times, oil companies are incurring a loss of Rs 10 per liter on petrol and Rs 13 per liter on diesel. Companies cannot bear the loss of such a huge amount on a daily basis for a long time, hence there is no other option left but to increase the prices to maintain financial stability.

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Petrol-Diesel Price Hike: Petrol-Diesel became costlier by more than Rs 7 in 10 days, are oil companies still in loss?

Crude Oil Import: Indian government company Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and private refiner HPCL Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) have purchased 1 million barrels of crude oil from Venezuela. This is BPCL’s first purchase and HMEL’s first purchase in two years. This purchase has been done through trader company Vitol. Under the deal signed with the company for the purchase of oil, India’s oil import from Venezuela will reach at least 60 lakh barrels by April.

Adopted this strategy to reduce shipping cost

To reduce shipping costs, both companies planned to load heavy crude oil first on a single big ship. BPCL will split its share between its Kochi refinery in Kerala and Bina refinery in Gujarat, while HMEL will process its share at its Bathinda refinery in North India via Mundra Port.

Dependence on Russia is decreasing

This purchase of oil from Venezuela is taking place at a time when Indian refineries are turning to other sources for the supply of crude oil to reduce imports from Russia. Similarly, other Indian companies like Reliance Industries, Indian Oil Corp and HPCL first bought Venezuelan crude oil at a price 6.5-7 dollars less than the Dubai crude benchmark.

In Venezuela, oil companies Vitol and Trafigura have been handling the sale of Venezuelan oil under a US license since January, which is part of an agreement between Venezuela and the US. Some time ago, a Reuters report also revealed that license was given to America’s Reliance Industries (RIL) for the supply of crude oil from Venezuela. Due to this, the company will be able to buy crude oil directly from Venezuela without any restriction. Just in the beginning of February, Reliance Industries purchased 20 lakh barrels of crude from Trader Vitol. Overall, the supply of oil from Venezuela to India is gradually increasing.

India is looking for other sources

Last Wednesday, at the Global Economic Cooperation Summit in Mumbai, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India wants to diversify its sources of crude oil and coking coal and the trade deal with the US will help in this effort.

He said, “India is dependent on 2-3 places for coking coal and the prices keep going up and down. We need American coking coal which is of high quality.

Let us tell you that under the trade deal between India and America, America has removed the 25 percent tariff imposed on India as a penalty for purchasing oil from Russia. Apart from this, the remaining 25 percent tariff has also been reduced to 18 percent. When the war in Ukraine started, India had increased the purchase of oil from Russia. Russia’s share in crude oil imports in April-December was 31 percent. America wanted India to stop buying oil from Russia so that pressure could be put on Russia for talks to end the war.

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Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited: Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) is in the headlines these days after finding a new reserve of oil in Abu Dhabi. Recently, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation together have discovered an oil reserve in the onshore block of Abu Dhabi.

After this discovery there is tremendous enthusiasm in both the companies. In this sequence, investors are now eyeing the quarterly results of Bharat Petroleum. In this regard, the Board of Directors of the company will meet on Friday, January 23 to consider the financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2025 and announce them as soon as possible.

Board meeting will be held on 23 January

“You are informed that the Board of Directors of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited will meet on Friday, January 23, 2026 to, inter alia, consider and approve the unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2025 and the declaration of Second Interim Dividend for the financial year 2025-26,” the company said in an exchange filing on January 16. “Will also be considered.” Under SEBI rules, insiders like directors and officers of the company will not be able to trade shares till this date before the quarterly results.

How were the results in the second quarter?

In the second quarter of the financial year 2025-26, the company earned a profit of Rs 6,442.53 crore, while in Q2 FY26 the revenue increased by 3.1 percent on an annual basis to Rs 1,21,570.90 crore. EBITDA for the September quarter increased by 1.2 per cent to Rs 9,778 crore from Rs 9,664 crore in the previous quarter, while EBITDA margin increased to 9.3 per cent from 8.6 per cent in the previous quarter.

Company has given multibagger return of 3600 percent

BPCL shares have been going through ups and downs in recent times. This multibagger PSU stock has gained more than 4 percent in the last five sessions. However, it has also declined by 1.25 percent in a month. In the last six months and one year, it has also increased by 5 percent and 33 percent respectively. BPCL shares have increased investors’ wealth more than four times by giving multibagger returns of 3600 percent since listing.

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