Diesel sales saw a year-on-year jump of 35.2%, while petrol sales by state-owned fuel retailers, which control nearly 90% of the market, rose 29 percent in June compared to the same period last year. % was higher.
Diesel sales saw a year-on-year jump of 35.2%, while petrol sales by state-owned fuel retailers, which control nearly 90% of the market, rose 29 percent in June compared to the same period last year. % was higher.
India’s petrol and diesel sales rose in June on the back of the start of the harvest season, summer travel and an overall increase in economic activity, preliminary industry data showed.
The start of the harvest season helped diesel demand register double-digit growth over the pre-pandemic period – a record in recent years.
Sales of diesel, the country’s most used fuel, jumped 35.2% year-on-year to 7.38 million tonnes in June.
This was 10.5 percent higher than the pre-pandemic sales in June 2019 and 33.3% higher than in June 2020. This was 11.5% higher than the 6.7 million tonnes consumed during May this year.
Industry sources attributed the pick-up in demand for diesel – which rose above pre-pandemic levels for the first time in April – to higher consumption by the agriculture and transport sectors.
Petrol sales by state-owned fuel retailers, which control nearly 90% of the market, at 2.8 million tonnes in June were up 29% compared to the same period last year when a devastating second COVID-19 wave hit the economy. Wrecked havoc.
This consumption was 36.7% higher than the demand in June 2020 and was up by 16.5% from 2.4 million tonnes of sales in pre-Covid June 2019. According to preliminary data, monthly sales were up 3.1%.
Sources said consumption in June was helped by the lower base effect of last year.
Consumption has been increasing since May when visits are high due to the annual summer holidays.
April saw a decline in consumption as petrol and diesel prices increased by ₹10 per liter after a gap of four months.
The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25, 2020, to control the spread of coronavirus. The complete lockdown, which halted mobility and crippled business, was gradually eased after two months.
LPG, whose prices were hiked by 103.50 per cylinder since March, saw sales rise 0.23% to 2.26 million tonnes in June.
This was 9.6% higher than consumption in June 2020, when the government extended free cooking gas to the poor to help them tide over the hardships of the lockdown.
LPG consumption was 27.9% higher than June 2019 demand and 6% higher than June 2021 sales of 1.77 million tonnes.
Two years later, with the opening up of the aviation sector, sales of jet fuel (ATF) more than doubled to 5,35,900 tonnes.
ATF consumption was 150.1% higher as compared to June 2020, but 12.9% lower as compared to pre-Covid sales of 6,15,400 tonnes in June 2019. Month-to-month sales were up 6%.