The refinery officials' plan to cut imports illustrates that rising crude prices and emerging market currency weakness may start causing oil demand to decline in a number of markets that have so far seen healthy crude consumption.

While the Sensex closed 536 points or 1.46% lower to 36,305, the Nifty lost 175 points or 1.58% to trade at 10,967 level. This is the weakest closing since July 11 when it settled at 36,265.93. The Sensex has lost 1,249.04 points in the previous four sessions.

The decision to cut imports illustrates that rising crude prices and emerging market currency weakness may start causing oil demand to decline in a number of markets that have so far seen healthy crude consumption.

Other metro cities have also seen fuel prices going up. Petrol is priced at Rs 85.99 in Chennai, while diesel has reached Rs 84.54 per litre. In Kolkata too, petrol and diesel have gone up to Rs 84.54 and Rs 75.99 per litre, respectively.

While the Bajaj Hindusthan stock lost 8.82%, Simbhaoli Sugars fell 9.77% on the BSE. Avadh Sugar and Energy (3.03%), Balrampur Chini Mills (4.45%), Mawana Sugars (6.33%), Dalmia Bharat Sugar & Industries (8.99%) and Andhra Sugars (5.28%) were the other losers on BSE.

The idea is to increase the excise duty on IMFL, especially on the largely consumed mid-segment liquors, and then reduce taxes on petrol and diesel.

Iran's Naftiran Intertrade Co Ltd, a trading arm for state-owned National Iranian Oil Co, owns a 15.4 per cent stake in Chennai Petroleum, which has two refineries with a total combined capacity of 230,000 barrels of oil per day.

In Chennai, petrol is priced Rs 85.70, up 29 paise, and diesel is priced Rs 78.31, which is 21 paise increase from Wednesday's price. Petrol has taken a 3 paise jump in Kolkata to reach Rs 84.4, while diesel is Rs 75.72.

Continuing its intermittent fall against the US dollar, the Indian rupee dived to another all-time low of 72.98 on Tuesday. The currency has lost over 13 per cent in value against the greenback since the beginning of the year.

Since September 1, petrol prices have gone up by about Rs 3.58 per litre in Mumbai, while diesel rates have increased by Rs 3.57 per litre; the petrol and diesel both have shown a similar trend all across India.

Despite steps such as withdrawing withholding tax on Masala bonds, allow some breathing space to foreign portfolio investors, and check non-essential imports and promote exports in order to arrest the decline in rupee, the local currency fell over 50 paise below the 72 level per dollar mark in trade today.

The government has made a slew of announcements -- including removal of limits on foreign portfolio investor (FPI) exposure to corporate bonds and curbs on import of non-essentials goods -- to check depreciation of rupee and ballooning current account deficit (CAD).

The petrol reached Rs 82.06 per litre in Delhi on Monday, while diesel surged 6 paise to Rs 73.78 per litre. Petrol has already crossed the Rs 90 mark in two districts of Maharashtra.

Besides, plans are on the anvil for selling the headquarter building of Air India in the national capital as well as various other land assets and buildings of the airline in different parts of the country.

Besides, plans are on the anvil for selling the headquarter building of Air India in the national capital as well as various other land assets and buildings of the airline in different parts of the country.

India's loadings from Iran for this month and next will drop to less than 12 million barrels each, after purchases over April-August had been boosted in anticipation of the reductions.

In August, the growth rate in overseas shipments touched a three-month high of 19.21 per cent. Earlier in May, exports had recorded a growth of 20.18 per cent.

The 15-member OPEC (The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) cartel pumped 32.98 million barrels per day last month. The rise in production was last matched in October 2017.

According to the government data released Friday, food articles registered deflation at 4.04 per cent in August 2018. Last month, deflation in this category was 2.16 per cent.

A litre of petrol is being sold for Rs 84.49 in Chennai, while it is Rs 83.14 in Kolkata. Diesel is being sold at Rs 77.49 in Chennai and Rs 75.36 in Kolkata.