NEW DELHI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Prices of premium quality petrol and industrial diesel rose in India by nearly 2.30 Indian rupees (nearly 2 U.S. cents) per liter and 22 Indian rupees (23 U.S. cents) per liter, respectively, on Friday, confirmed the oil marketing companies.

Attributed to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the increase in fuel prices took effect immediately.

Costlier industrial diesel would have an adverse impact on various activities, including manufacturing, logistics and power generation. It would increase production and transport costs, potentially making everyday products more expensive, according to local media reports.

The federal government, however, played down the rise in the price of premium petrol, describing it as a small rise, as premium petrol was consumed by only 2-4 percent of the total petrol buyers in the country. ■