Diesel sales fall 3 pc Sep, petrol up 5.4 pc

Diesel sales in India fell 3 per cent in September as a receding monsoon continued to dampen demand and slowed industrial activity in some parts of the country, preliminary data of state-owned firms showed.

While diesel sales by three state-owned fuel retailers fell year-on-year, petrol sales rose in September.

Consumption of diesel, the most consumed fuel in the country — accounting for about two-fifths of the demand, fell to 5.81 million tonnes in September from 5.99 million tonnes demand in the same period a year ago.

Demand dipped by over 5 per cent in the first half of September, and consumption picked up in the second half as rains receded.