India’s diesel sales rose in October for the first time since the nation imposed COVID-19 restrictions in late March, preliminary data shows, signalling a pick-up in industrial activity ahead of key festivals.
Diesel sales by the country’s three state fuel retailers rose 8.8 per cent year on year in the first half of October, according to provisional data compiled by Indian Oil Corp, the country’s biggest refiner and fuel retailer.
Sales of diesel, which account for about two fifths of the country’s overall fuel demand, totalled 2.65 million tonnes, up more than 24 per cent from the previous month.
Rising diesel sales in the world’s third-biggest oil consumer and importer would help refiners that have had to cut crude-processing runs during the coronavirus crisis, said an official at one of the state refiners, though he cautioned that diesel sales growth could be temporary.
“Typically, transportation of goods picks up ahead of festivals and dips during and after the key festivals. This year key festivals are towards the end of this month and early November; last year they were in October,” the official said.
Rising petrol and diesel demand in India should also aid other markets hit by slow demand recovery.
