The petroleum ministry’s efforts to further expand the country’s retail fuel network may eat into its own existing market, instead of catering to a new one, a report by rating agency CRISIL has suggested. The planned expansion would be feasible if stopped at less than half its target, it said.
In November 2018, the government allowed the three oil marketing companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) — to add 78,493 pumps combined to their existing retail network.
“The economics do not support the addition of 78,000 petrol pumps. There is room for only less than half, that is 30,000 petrol pumps, if the pumps are to maintain current throughput levels,” CRISIL said in its note.
