India state retailers’ March petrol sales up 27.4% y/y; diesel up 28.6% y/y

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian state retailers’ gasoline and gasoil sales in March rose by 27.4% and 28.6%, respectively, from the low base of last year, when a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus hit consumption, preliminary industry data showed.

State companies – Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum – own about 90% of India’s retail fuel outlets.

The three companies sold 2.47 million tonnes of gasoline and 6.41 million tonnes of gasoil last month, the data showed.