Diesel sales fall in September, petrol up

Diesel sales in India fell for the second straight month in September as rains dampened 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 in the first half of September, petrol sales were up marginally.

Consumption of diesel, the most consumed fuel in the country accounting for about two-fifths of the demand, fell 5.8 per cent to 2.72 million tonnes between September 1 and 15, compared to the year-ago period.

Consumption had fallen by a similar proportion in the first half of August. Month-on-month sales were up 0.9 per cent, when compared with 2.7 million tonnes of diesel consumed in the first half of August.