Oil companies in India are reportedly bleeding money, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri has warned citizens to treat the situation as a “wake-up call”.
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India’s economic warning signs are beginning to converge rapidly amid the deepening West Asia conflict and growing fears over global oil supply disruptions. The government has already raised import duty on gold, silver and other precious metals to 15 per cent in a move aimed at reducing non-essential imports and protecting India’s foreign exchange reserves. The decision came as investors rushed towards safe-haven assets like gold due to geopolitical tensions and fears of prolonged instability in the Middle East.
At the same time, concerns are rising globally over the strategic Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes through which nearly a fifth of global petroleum supplies move. Disruption in the region has sharply pushed up crude oil prices worldwide.
For India, which imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements, this is a major concern.
The signs from within India have also become unusually direct. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to reduce fuel consumption by adopting measures such as work from home, online meetings, increased use of electric vehicles and even online classes for schools wherever possible.
Meanwhile, oil companies are reportedly bleeding money, senior ministers are warning citizens to treat the situation as a “wake-up call”, and top bankers are cautioning about a major economic shock if the West Asia crisis continues.
These developments are strengthening expectations that a steep petrol and diesel price hike may now be difficult to avoid.
Oil Companies Losing Rs 1,000 Crore Every Day
India’s public sector oil marketing companies are reportedly absorbing losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore daily because global crude oil prices have risen sharply while retail petrol and diesel prices have largely remained unchanged. This gap is becoming difficult to sustain.
India imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil needs, and the ongoing West Asia conflict has pushed up global energy market uncertainty. There have been days when brent crude touched $110 per barrel. As crude becomes costlier, oil companies either pass the burden on to consumers through higher fuel prices or absorb the losses themselves.
For now, they are largely absorbing the shock. But such massive daily losses cannot continue indefinitely without government support or a retail price revision.
That is why economists and industry observers believe a fuel price hike is becoming increasingly unavoidable.
What Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Said
Union Petroleum Minister on Tuesday tried to reassure the public that India is not facing an immediate fuel shortage. But his comments also carried a strong warning signal. Puri said, “There is no shortage of petroleum products in the country. We have adequate supplies. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal should be seen as a wake-up call.”
Prime Minister Modi has appealed to citizens and institutions to adopt measures such as work from home, online meetings, increased use of electric vehicles and even online classes for schools to reduce fuel demand.
Puri’s “wake-up call” remark is being seen as an indication that the government is preparing the public for tougher economic conditions linked to oil prices.
Uday Kotak’s Warning About A ‘Big Shock’
Veteran banker Uday Kotak has issued one of the starkest warnings yet on the economic fallout of the West Asia crisis.
Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2026, the founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, said, “The shock is coming, and it’s big. India must prepare for serious economic fallout if the West Asia crisis prolongs.”
His warning reflects growing fears in financial markets that India could soon face a combination of rising crude oil prices, a weakening rupee, imported inflation and higher logistics costs.
Fuel prices are central to all of this because petrol and diesel directly affect transportation, supply chains and the cost of everyday goods.
If the geopolitical crisis continues and crude prices remain elevated, India may have little choice but to eventually allow fuel prices to rise instead of forcing oil companies to absorb mounting losses.
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