Making a budget at the beginning of every month is no longer as easy as before. The cost of running a household for middle class families is continuously increasing. Be it kitchen expenses, children’s education or daily commuting expenses, the pressure on the pocket has increased on almost every front. The rise in prices of food items and fuel in recent months has increased the concerns of common families. Food and fuel costs are also considered to be the main reason behind the increase in retail inflation.

Kitchen budget most affected

The increase in prices of vegetables, fruits and everyday food items is having a direct impact on the household budget. The goods which earlier used to be available for a fixed amount, now have to be spent more for them. Heat, supply disruptions and increased transportation costs have fueled food inflation. Many families say that the monthly ration budget has increased significantly compared to last year, while the income has not increased in the same proportion.

After HDFC, now these banks have also increased the interest rates, now you will have to pay more EMI on the loan.

If fuel is expensive then everything is expensive

The effect of increase in prices of petrol and diesel is not limited to driving only. Due to expensive transport, the cost of vegetables, milk, grocery and other essential goods also increases. This is the reason why every increase in fuel affects the expenses of the common man at many levels. Experts believe that if pressure on energy prices continues, inflation may increase further in the coming months.

School fees and children’s expenses also increased

Education has always been a priority for middle class families, but now this expense is also continuously increasing. Necessities like school fees, books, uniforms, coaching and transport consume a large part of the family’s monthly budget. In such a situation, the financial pressure increases further for families who have home loan, car loan or other EMIs.

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impact on savings

The biggest disadvantage of increasing expenditure is that people’s savings are decreasing. Many families are having to reduce contributions to investment or savings schemes so that daily expenses can be met. In such a situation, families should calculate their expenses and control non-essential expenses.

What relief will there be next?

If crude oil prices remain high and food supplies remain under pressure, the burden on the household budget may increase further. The biggest challenge for the middle class at present is to maintain a balance between income and expenditure. From kitchen to school and transport, almost every essential expenditure has increased.

Retail Inflation News: According to government data released on Friday, India’s retail inflation rate has increased to 3.93% in May. The main reason for this is the rising prices of food items and fuel. Also, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, there is pressure on prices, due to which there is uncertainty regarding inflation. The May figures were slightly below estimates of 4.0% and close to the central bank’s medium-term inflation target.

Fuel prices increased four times in May

These inflation figures have come at a time when government fuel companies increased fuel prices four times in May alone, due to which transportation costs increased. At the same time, the inflation rate of food items increased to 4.78% in May, which is higher than last year’s low level and 4.20% in April.

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Drop in transport related inflation rate

Transport-related inflation increased from a decline of 0.01% in April to 1.75% in May, reflecting the impact of higher retail fuel prices. The Reserve Bank of India has raised its inflation forecast for the current financial year from 4.6% to 5.1% due to higher oil prices and fears of a weak monsoon, and risks related to rupee and current account deficit have also increased.

What happened expensive?

First of all, fuel prices increased, after petrol and diesel, the prices of commercial gas cylinders increased. Which impacted the business a lot. After this, the prices of daily used items also increased continuously. Milk prices increased, bread prices increased, after which recently the prices of domestic gas cylinders have also been increased by Rs 29. Due to which the household budget of the common people has also been completely shaken.

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Amidst the war situation in the Middle East, energy shortage has started in many countries of the world. Meanwhile, India’s old ally Russia has said that it will fulfill energy supply related agreements with India. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that relations between the two countries are based on friendship and there is no situation in which their paths should part.

India’s interests will not be harmed: Russia

In an interview with ‘Russia Today-India’ ahead of his visit to New Delhi this week, Lavrov praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is one of the most energetic leaders in the world. He said, ‘I can guarantee that there will be no harm to India’s interests in relation to Russian supplies. We will make every effort to ensure that this unfair and dishonest competition does not harm our agreements.

Lavrov stressed that Russia has never failed to fulfill its obligations to India or anyone else in terms of energy supplies. He said, ‘Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is our major project. It fulfills a significant part of India’s needs. Cooperation is continuing on the construction of new power units for this nuclear plant. Still, India needs more. We are continuing to supply hydrocarbons like gas, oil and coal.

The paths of Russia and India will not diverge: Lavrov

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is being constructed in Tamil Nadu with the technological assistance of Russia. Its construction started in March 2002. Since February 2016, Unit 1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has been operating continuously at its design capacity of 1,000 MW. According to Russian state media, the plant is expected to begin operating at full capacity in 2027.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said, ‘He (PM Modi) has immense energy and he directs it towards extremely important goals, such as achieving maximum sovereignty in all areas. Preservation of economy, army, defence, culture and civilizational wealth of India, which is unmatched in comparison to any other country. Lavrov said that relations between India and Russia are based on friendship and there is no situation in which their paths should part.

In response to a question, he said, ‘There is not just one word for these relations. This is not because human languages ​​are not so rich, but because it is difficult to imagine such a perfect and deep connection. Such a situation where our paths diverge is not possible, it is unimaginable. We started our talks from the foundation of Russian-Indian relations, that is, friendship.

Hindi-Russian brother brother: Lavrov

Referring to ‘Hindi-Russi Bhai Bhai’, Lavrov said that it is not just a funny slogan, but it has become a part of our culture. He said, ‘Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor, recent television series and films – all these are extremely popular in Russia, everywhere, in every corner. The economy, joint energy production, military cooperation, nuclear and other forms of energy, cultural and human-to-human relations, and high-level political dialogue marked by unprecedented trust – all are extremely strong.’

Some people are trying to weaken our relations: Lavrov

Lavrov said, ‘Anyone concerned about the future of Russia-India friendship can rest assured. We must always be alert to the threats that some pose to undermine our relations and impose their own rules for dealing with Russia. We are watching all this and so are our Indian friends. This is why the continued failure of these efforts is all the more significant.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that during his visit to India, Lavrov will hold talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and attend the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers. It said that the two ministers will exchange views on current international and regional issues.

The statement said, ‘Special attention is expected to be given to the situation in West Asia. The ministers are also expected to discuss cooperation within the United Nations, BRICS and G20. It said that both the ministers will discuss various dimensions of priority areas of bilateral cooperation.

The ministry said, ‘These include expanding trade, accelerating efforts to build sustainable transportation, logistics and financial channels safe from illegal external pressure, deepening energy cooperation and increasing cooperation in science and space technology.’

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Amid rising global oil prices, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to people to save fuel. He has advised to adopt work from home, hold virtual meetings and use petrol and diesel sparingly. However, experts believe that these steps can only provide short-term relief. The world is facing an unprecedented fuel crisis due to the ongoing war in the Middle East. Due to America and Israel’s campaign against Iran and double pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, the supply of petrol, diesel and LPG has been affected. India has handled price shocks to a great extent so far, but the situation remains a matter of concern.

India’s dependence on imported oil has been a challenge for a long time. For this reason, the country has been working on big energy pipeline projects for decades. Plans such as the Oman-India Deepwater Pipeline, India-Sri Lanka Oil Pipeline and TAPI Gas Pipeline were mooted in the 1990s and 2000s, but have not yet taken off due to geopolitical tensions, huge costs and security challenges. The proposed deep-water gas pipeline project between India and Oman is once again in the news. This nearly four decade old project is now being linked to India’s energy security. If this plan comes to fruition, gas will reach India directly from the depths of the Arabian Sea and the entire equation of the country’s foreign energy dependence can change.

Defense expert and senior journalist Sandeep Unnithan wrote on X on Monday that the 1,600 km long Oman-India Deepwater Pipeline Project (OIDMPP) has been under discussion since the 1990s. This pipeline is to be laid 3,500 meters below sea level from Ras Al Jifan to Porbandar. “Now is the time to move this project forward rapidly,” he said. This is the same project which was once considered technically impossible. But now new technology, changing global politics and India’s increasing energy needs have revived it.

Talks on the 1,600 km Oman India deep-water pipeline project (OIDMPP) have been on since the 1990s.
Ras Al Jifan to Porbandar. Laid on the seabed 3500 m below.
Time to ‘step on the gas’ with this project. pic.twitter.com/dO5aL1kXIE

— Sandeep (@SandeepUnnithan) May 11, 2026

What is Oman-India Deepwater Pipeline Project?
The official name of this project is Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline i.e. MEIDP. The plan is to bring natural gas directly to Gujarat by laying an undersea pipeline from Oman or UAE. The proposed pipeline will pass under the Arabian Sea and its length may be around 1200 to 1600 kilometers. This pipeline is estimated to be laid about 3400 to 3450 meters below the sea. Very few pipeline projects in the world have been done at such a depth. This is the reason why it is being counted among the world’s deepest transnational undersea gas pipeline projects.

Why is this project important for India?
India is a rapidly growing economy and its energy needs are going to increase further in the coming years. The government aims to increase the share of natural gas in the country’s energy mix to 15 percent by 2030. But at present India fulfills a major part of its requirement by importing LNG i.e. Liquefied Natural Gas. LNG is brought by ships and then there is a process of converting it back into gas. This increases the cost. MEIDP is being considered as the solution to this problem. Gas will directly reach India through pipeline, due to which the price will be lower and the supply will be more stable. It is claimed that the gas coming from this pipeline will be cheaper by 2 to 2.5 dollars per MMBtu compared to the existing LNG. It is estimated that this can save India about Rs 7000 crore every year.

Will completely bypass Pakistan-Afghanistan
The biggest strategic advantage of this project is its routing. Earlier, pipeline projects like TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) and Iran-Pakistan-India were proposed for India. But the biggest problems of these projects were security and geopolitical tensions. Land-based pipeline projects continued to get stuck due to instability in Afghanistan and tensions with Pakistan. MEIDP will come by sea. That means there will be no dependence on any third country. The pipeline will reach India directly from the Middle East and the risk of supply disruption will be significantly reduced. This is why experts are also calling it India’s “geopolitical energy shield”.

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How did this project start?
The story of this project is not new. It started in the 1980s. For the first time in 1985, the idea of ​​bringing a gas pipeline from Oman to India came up. After this, the project received diplomatic support during the visit of the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao to Oman in 1993. At that time India was rapidly moving towards economic liberalization and energy security was becoming a big issue. However, after the initial enthusiasm, this project gradually got shelved.

Why did the dream stop?
The main reason was lack of technology. At that time, such technology was not available that could lay pipelines at a depth of 3500 meters. There is so much pressure under the sea that normal steel pipes can break. At that time, there were neither strong enough pipes nor ships that could lay or repair the pipeline at such a depth. That means the idea was there, but the technology was not supporting.

LNG tankers have to pass through sensitive sea routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, whereas undersea pipelines could provide a more stable and reliable gas supply. The technical feasibility report of this project has been completed years ago, but construction has not started yet. With its launch, India can get relief from diversification in gas imports and global price shocks.

Things started changing after 2010. Rapid progress was made in deep-sea engineering. Modern pipe laying vessels and high-pressure steel pipes became available. During this time the project was taken forward again. A large-scale marine survey was conducted in 2013. About 1780 kilometers of sea route was examined so that a safe route could be determined. Many challenging areas emerged in the survey. Among these, Owen Fracture Zone was considered to be the most dangerous, where the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates meet. This area is seismically active. Apart from this, huge marine sediment areas like Indus Fan and deep marine canyons also became a big challenge for the engineers. However, experts say that now it is possible to solve these challenges with the help of modern technology.

What is the status of the project now?
Significant progress has been made on this project in 2023 and 2024. Preliminary Engineering and Cost Estimate Study has been completed and it is considered technically feasible. At present the estimated cost of the project is said to be between 6 to 7 billion dollars. In some reports, dual pipeline system has also been considered so that the supply can be made more reliable. Along with this, UAE-India pipeline option is also being discussed. Following ADNOC’s interest, the option of pipeline from Fujairah to Gujarat is also being looked at. Recent economic cooperation agreements between India and Oman have also given new impetus to this project.

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Petrol-Diesel Price Today: The month of May can give shocks to the public on the inflation front. It started on May 1 with commercial gas cylinders becoming expensive. Now another news may bother you. The news coming from government sources is enough to give sleepless nights to the common man. A huge jump in the prices of petrol and diesel can be seen in the coming few days.

According to government sources, the prices of petrol and diesel may increase by Rs 4 to 5 per liter because oil companies are incurring losses. The government is seriously considering revising fuel prices. If this happens, it will directly affect the freight transportation and the cost of your journey. That means, not only oil, but everything from vegetables to milk will become expensive.

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What are the prices of petrol and diesel in your city today? see list

City	Petrol	Diesel
1. New Delhi	₹ 94.77	₹ 87.67
2.Mumbai	₹ 103.54	₹ 90.03
3. Kolkata	₹ 105.45	₹ 92.02
4.Chennai	₹ 100.80	₹ 92.39
5. Bengaluru	₹ 102.92	₹ 90.99
6. Hyderabad	₹ 107.41	₹ 95.65
7. Ahmedabad	₹ 94.56	₹ 90.25
8. Jaipur	₹ 104.88	₹ 90.36
9.Lucknow	₹ 94.65	₹ 87.76
10. Patna	₹ 105.18	₹ 92.04
11. Bhopal	₹ 106.52	₹ 91.89
12. Guwahati	₹ 93.23	₹ 89.46
13. Amritsar	₹ 98.29	₹ 88.06
14. Bhubaneswar	₹ 101.10	₹ 92.69
15. Chandigarh	₹ 94.30	₹ 82.45
16. Ranchi	₹ 97.86	₹ 92.62
17. Raipur	₹ 99.44	₹ 93.39
18. Dehradun	₹ 93.17	₹ 88.01
19. Shimla	₹ 95.27	₹ 87.31
20. Srinagar	₹ 100.70	₹ 86.88

Why can petrol and diesel become expensive?

In fact, after the Iran War and Hormuz crisis, fluctuations in international crude oil prices and global economic uncertainty are being said to be the main reasons for this. Oil companies have been pressurizing for a long time to increase prices to compensate for their losses. Although no official announcement has been made by the government yet, sources say that this decision can be taken at any time.

When petrol and diesel become expensive, it does not only affect the drivers, but everyone from the pump sets used in farming to the delivery boys gets affected by it. That means the price of every item increases.

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Fuel prices were stable for some time, which brought some relief to the public. But now this possible increase is going to act as ‘ghee in the fire of inflation’. If you want to fill your tank then now is probably the right time.

Petrol-Diesel Price Hike News: There is going to be such a storm of inflation in the country which will spoil the entire mathematics of your house. Such news is coming out from the government corridors, which is going to directly rob your pocket. Sources have said that the government is going to take a major decision on oil prices within the next five to seven days.

According to government sources, the government is keeping a close eye on the changing conditions in West Asia and its impact on the global energy market. Even though the final approval has not been given yet, the indications are clear that there may be a sharp increase in the prices of petrol and diesel very soon. There is a sword hanging over the head, because internal discussions are in full swing and officials are assessing how much burden should be put on the public.

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There is a possibility of increase in the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 4 to 5.

Let us tell you that there is a possibility of a rise of 4 to 5 rupees in the price of petrol and diesel. The government is currently standing at a ‘crossroads’. On one hand there is financial pressure of oil companies and on the other hand there is fear of rising inflation. But the public now needs to step in cautiously, because if these prices increase, it will directly impact your plate and your journey.

Any increase in the prices of fuel and cooking gas has a wide-ranging impact. When diesel becomes expensive, the fare of trucks increases and when the fare increases, everything from fruits and vegetables to essential goods becomes expensive. This is going to be a tough task for the middle class, because the household budget is already stretched.

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Government trying to strike a balance – Sources

Sources said that the government is currently trying to strike a balance so that inflation does not go out of control, but in this era of global uncertainty, this is a very sensitive policy decision. Alarm bells have rung and the picture is expected to become clear in the next week.

Pakistan is facing a serious fuel crisis amid the ongoing war in West Asia. Petroleum Minister Ali Malik said that the country does not have even one day’s strategic petroleum reserves. In an interview given to Pakistan’s Sama TV, Malik mentioned the serious crisis prevailing in Pakistan and compared the situation with India and said that the country has only 5 to 7 days of commercial crude oil reserves.

What did Malik say about India?
Malik said, “We do not have any strategic oil reserves. We have only commercial reserves. We have enough crude oil for 5-7 days and the product with OMCs can last only for 20-21 days. We are not like India, which has 60-70 days of reserves and which they can release with just one sign.”

Malik said that Pakistan has done adequate research on this subject. An independent consultant has given a detailed report on how Pakistan can manage its strategic stockpiles. The minister said that no action has been taken so far on the report due to the huge costs of operating these oil reserves, which could reach millions of dollars.

Malik told the situation of Pakistan
Malik also pointed out that historically crude oil prices in Dubai have never reached $170, which reflects the extreme volatility in global markets. He said that the Shehbaz Sharif government is trying to reduce the hardships of the people and efforts are being made to provide subsidies as far as possible. He further said that the Pakistani government is keeping a close watch on the situation to ensure the availability of petrol despite global uncertainty due to the Iran-US conflict.

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Total capacity of India’s SPR is 53 lakh metric tons.
The total capacity of India’s strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) is 53 lakh metric tonnes (MMT), which is equivalent to approximately 3692 crore barrels. In contrast, Pakistan does not have strategic petroleum reserves and has only limited commercial reserves. Islamabad has announced a plan to keep reserves of up to 90 days in view of the risks posed in the Strait of Hormuz.

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In many cities of Telangana, including Khammam, Bhadradri and Hyderabad, panic has spread among the drivers due to sudden installation of ‘no stock’ (out of stock) boards at petrol pumps on Sunday. Rumors about fuel shortage gained momentum, leading to kilometers long queues formed outside the pumps. However, the administration immediately intervened and appealed to the people not to pay attention to the rumours.

Where were the no stock boards installed?
According to information posted by ChotaNews app on social media platform X, ‘No Stock’ signs were seen outside petrol pumps located in several areas of Hyderabad, Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts. This led to a rumor that there was a severe shortage of fuel in the state and petrol and diesel could be completely exhausted within a few hours. Frightened by the rumours, people flocked to petrol pumps to fill their vehicles with fuel as soon as possible. Due to this, long lines formed at the pumps, due to which traffic was also affected.

Taking the situation seriously, Telangana Civil Supplies Department Commissioner Stephen Ravindra clarified that there is sufficient stock of fuel in the state. He said that ‘No Stock’ boards at petrol pumps may be put up due to technical or administrative reasons, such as a delay of one-two hours in delivery at a particular pump or minor problems related to cash/online payment.

There is no shortage of fuel in the state- Administration
He stressed that there is no shortage of fuel in the state and there is no need for people to panic at all. The Commissioner has also warned of action against those spreading rumours. Experts believe that due to last week’s fuel price increase and problems in the supply chain, a distrust had already developed in the minds of people.

In such a situation, a small incident of running out of stock at some pumps helped in spreading the rumor like wildfire. Police and administration are constantly monitoring social media and trying to detect accounts spreading misinformation. At present the situation has calmed down. The administration has given instructions to all petrol pumps to ensure regular supply.

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Andhra Pradesh Fuel Panic Buying: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has recently given clear instructions to the officials of the districts of the state. At many places, people are suddenly purchasing fuel in large quantities, the CM has talked about stopping this situation immediately. Due to sudden increase in purchasing, more than 400 fuel outlets had to be temporarily closed on Sunday.

Taking this matter seriously, the government has asked the district collectors to immediately implement the action plan. Besides, instructions have also been given to submit the report by the end of the day. So that the situation can be controlled quickly and people do not face any problem due to any kind of rumor or panic.

CM held teleconference regarding fuel supply and consumption

• Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took information about the situation by holding a teleconference with Chief Secretary G Sai Prasad and senior officials. Officials said that out of total 4,510 fuel outlets in the state, about 421 are currently closed.
• On Saturday, 10,345 kiloliters of petrol and 14,156 kiloliters of diesel were supplied to dealers. However, due to the concern spread among the people, crowds suddenly gathered at many places and more purchases were seen.

Consumption increased from normal days

On normal days, the average consumption of petrol in the state is around 6,330 kiloliters and diesel 9,048 kiloliters. But this increased to 8,489 kiloliters of petrol and 10,556 kiloliters of diesel. Due to which petrol and diesel ran out at some pumps.

Pressure on supply due to sudden increase in demand

Officials said that due to the sudden increase in purchase of fuel, the stock at many petrol pumps started depleting rapidly. Despite increasing the supply, long queues are being seen at petrol pumps due to panic buying by people. Apart from this, people are purchasing fuel in drums on a large scale. Due to which the pressure has increased further.

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Tax on Diesel and ATF: The central government has taken a big decision amid the Iran War and Hormuz crisis. The government has today increased the windfall tax on the export of diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF). The Ministry of Finance has given this information. The government has taken this decision so that domestic supply can be managed and windfall profits of refiners can be curbed.

The people of the country will benefit from this decision of the government, because the domestic supply will increase further. Besides, the possibility of increase in diesel prices will also reduce.

Through a notification issued today, the Union Finance Ministry has increased the excise duty on diesel to ₹55.5 per liter from the earlier ₹21.5 per litre, which is more than double the previous amount. Apart from this, the export duty on ATF has been increased from ₹29.5 per liter to ₹42 per liter, while the export duty on petrol still remains zero.

The government had abolished this tax in 2024

Amidst the ongoing crisis in West Asia, the government has re-imposed the windfall tax i.e. ‘Special Additional Excise Duty’ on the export of fuel. This tax was abolished in December 2024. But now due to huge profits being made by the refineries and concerns arising over the availability of fuel within the country, the government has implemented it again.

The government had reduced excise duty last month

Let us tell you that last month the Central Government had also reduced the excise duty on petrol. On March 26, the Finance Ministry reduced the excise duty on petrol from ₹13 per liter to ₹3 per litre, while the duty on diesel was reduced from ₹10 per liter to zero.

This was done so that oil marketing companies could be protected from the impact of rising crude oil prices worldwide due to the Iran war. After the Iran-America War, worldwide crude oil prices had reached $119 per barrel, but now they have come down to around $98 per barrel.

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