India’s fuel sales fell in the first half of April as a record rise in prices in a short 16-day period dented demand, preliminary industry data showed on Saturday.
Petrol sales fell almost 10 per cent in the first half of April when compared with the same period in the preceding month, while diesel demand slid 15.6 per cent.
Even cooking gas LPG, which had consistently shown growth even during the pandemic period, saw a 1.7 per cent month-on-month fall in consumption during April 1-15.
State-owned oil firms on March 22 ended a 137-day hiatus in rate revision and began passing on a $30 per barrel increase in cost of raw material (crude oil) during that period when five states including Uttar Pradesh went to polls.
