New Delhi: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s largest fuel retailer, today said it has invited entrepreneurs to set-up 27,000 petrol pumps pan India.

“The country’s largest downstream oil major has issued an advertisement for setting up about 27,000 petrol pumps pan India. Interested entrepreneurs may see the detailed advertisement and brochure available on website, www.petrolpumpdealerchayan.in. For location-wise details up to district level, interested entrepreneurs may also visit Indian Oil’s website, www.iocl.com, and get state, city and district-wise details advertised by the company,” IOC said.

The retailer added that the eligibility norms have been relaxed this time and availability of suitable land at the advertised location or stretch was the most important requirement. However, applicants without land can also apply on a condition that when called by IOC they should be able to offer land.


“Even in regard to finance criterion, candidates are expected to give only commitment towards development of retail outlet and working capital. The upper limit of age has been revised to 60 years and educational qualification has been maintained as passed minimum 10th,” the company said.

In a bid to cement their market leadership and expand their footprint in other geographical areas of the country, oil firms had invited applications last month to set-up 55,649 retail outlets in 30 states and union territories in the country.

Out of these, about 27,000 petrol pump dealerships have been offered by IOC followed by 15,802 dealerships by Bharat Petroleum and 12,865 by Hindustan Petroleum.

Cumulatively, oil marketing companies (OMCs) have offered setting up maximum number of fuel retail outlets through dealerships in Uttar Pradesh (9,370), Maharashtra (6,765), Karnataka (5,024) , Gujarat (4,450), and Haryana (3,370), according to information provided by the OMCs on the Petrol Pump Dealer Chayan website.

Other states where sizeable number of retail outlets has been offered include Bihar (2,951), Tamil Nadu (2,951), Andhra Pradesh (2,815), Odisha (2,636), West Bengal (2,242), Jharkhand (1,905), Kerala (1,730), and Assam (1,026).

India currently has 63,674 petrol and diesel retail outlets. The three government-owned OMCs account for 90 per cent of these.

Among private players, Nayara Energy tops the list with 4,895 retail outlets followed by Reliance Industries with 1,400, and Royal Dutch Shell with 116 outlets.