Mumbai, Oct. 14 -- India's energy import bill has come under pressure as the landed cost of crude oil has risen to USD 130-140 per barrel, significantly above December Brent futures trading at around USD 106, while persistent fuel and food inflation could prompt the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to raise interest rates by at least another 50 basis points this fiscal year, Anindya Banerjee, Head of Commodities Research at Kotak Neo, said.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Banerjee said higher freight, insurance and handling costs, along with spot delivery premiums, have substantially increased the cost of importing crude oil, adding to the pressure on India's energy bill.

"Before the war, nobody really bothered about freight or other charges pe...