PremiumGasoil demand accounts for two-fifths of India's fuel demand and typically rises during the month-long festival season as diesel-guzzling trucks hit the road and industrial activity gathers pace
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India's gasoil demand decline by almost 20 per cent from the pre-Covid levels during the first fifteen days of November, after a festive season led brief recovery last month, showed preliminary sales data of state-run refiners.
India's gasoil consumption accounts for about two-fifths of the country's fuel demand. It typically rises during a month-long festival season that ended earlier this month with the celebration of Diwali as diesel-guzzling trucks hit the road and industrial activity gathers pace.
Gasoil consumption totalled 2.43 million tonnes between November 1 and 15, a decline of about 15.3 per cent from the year-ago period and down 19.35 per cent from the same period in 2019, Reuters reported quoting refiners's data.
In contrast, gasoline sales continued to stay above pre-Covid levels, rising to 1.04 million tonnes, as people continued to prefer using personal vehicles over public transport to protect themselves from the virus.
Gasoline sales in the first half of November were up 1.2 period from the same period in 2019 and rose by 0.5 per cent from last year, the data showed.
State retailers - Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Hindustan Petroleum Corp - control about 90 per cent of the fuel stations in the country.
(With Reuters input)
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