The government would discuss with states on fetching petroleum products into the domain of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

Modi was reacting to suggestions from industry leaders to bring petroleum products, that now face high Central and State levies, into the GST net, at an official meeting with the people in charge of the oil and gas industry.

The Centre at present levies an excise duty of ₹19.48 per liter on petrol and states levy VAT ranging between 6% and 48%. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has continually urged the GST Council to bring petrol and diesel under GST. Recently petrol, diesel, natural gas, and alcohol are outside GST.

The PM stressed the requirement to expand energy infrastructure in eastern India, and urged the private sector to contribute in coal gasification and biomass energy through shared ventures.

“The PM expressed thanks to the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Rosneft..., for their keen support to India’s energy sector, and also admired the 2030 vision document of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said a statement from the PM’s Office.

“Sincerely recalling his visit to Saudi Arabia, Modi said numerous progressive assessments are being taken there in the energy sector. He looked forward to various opportunities for cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia in the near future”.

“The PM said that as India is in motion towards a cleaner and more fuel-efficient economy, he wants its benefits to enlarge to all sections of the society, and, in particular, to the poor.”

Apart from Pradhan, NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar, executives from global oil majors Rosneft, BP, Saudi Aramco, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell are present at the meeting, as did RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani and public sector oil majors.

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