Public sector oil marketing companies in India, including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), are facing significant financial challenges, reporting losses of about ₹30,000 crore (approximately $3.6 billion USD) each month. This situation arises as these companies continue to sell petrol, diesel, and cooking gas at lower rates despite soaring crude oil prices, which have surged due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, explained that the government has cut excise duties, leading to a ₹14,000 crore burden on the government to help shield consumers from rising fuel costs. Current pump prices in Delhi stand at ₹94.77 per litre for petrol and ₹87.67 for diesel, with a 14.2-kg domestic cooking gas cylinder priced at ₹913. Despite these measures, the cumulative under-recovery on fuels remains substantial, with losses estimated at ₹20 per litre for petrol and ₹100 per litre for diesel. Analysts suggest that with crude prices reaching a four-year high of $126 per barrel, a price hike for consumers may soon be unavoidable, as many countries have begun to pass on these costs to end-users.