India, March 27 -- The central government said on Friday reduced excise duty on domestic petrol and diesel by Rs.10 per litre each to protect consumers from rising international oil prices, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

At the same time, the government has imposed duties on exports of diesel by Rs.21.5 per litre and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) by Rs.29.5 per litre, to ensure these vital fuels remain available domestically amid the West Asia crisis and disruptions in global energy supplies, the finance minister added.

The excise duty move comes amid disruptions in energy supplies globally due to the chokehold on key waterway Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of gas and oil requirements of the world move - as ...