A fresh fuel price hike has catapulted petrol and diesel rates higher across the tri-state junction of Chittoor district, with petrol now hovering around ₹113 per litre and diesel at ₹100 per litre in most towns, highway outlets, and border-facing pumps. The overnight development is being felt not only as a sudden shock to consumers, but operators of the petrol pumps.

In many places of the erstwhile Chittoor district, from Kuppam to Satyavedu, fuel stations report that, even before Friday’s (May 15, 2026) hike, customers were already filling up locally, but only out of necessity. In border towns such as Nagari, Kuppam, V.Kota, Palamaner, and Madanapalle, petrol bunks are seeing a different pattern emerge. “We have to plan ahead and cross into Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, where fuel is still cheaper by several rupees per litre,” said Karthik Vinayagam (34), a lorry driver, working for a transport company in Trichy, shuttling between Theni and Bhubaneshwar.

A petrol bunk owner in Nagari, Ramesh, located just a few kilometres from the Tamil Nadu border, said the change has become harder to ignore. “Earlier, we used to have a steady flow throughout the day. Now, after every price hike, we see fewer vehicles, and the drivers just prefer two or three liters, hoping to cross into Tamil Nadu. It’s a vital decision for the public and transporters as well, because savings are the lifeline,” he said.

Dealers across the district say the issue is no longer temporary. The price gap has slowly altered customer behaviour, and highway stations, in particular, are feeling the pressure, with reduced sales and uneven demand throughout the day, impacting the fuel business across the interstate borders. — K. Umashanker