India’s monthly fuel demand jumps 47.4% in May as Covid-19 lockdowns ease

India’s fuel demand rose by nearly 50% in May from the previous month as the country eased Coronavirus-led restrictions, Oil Ministry data showed on Wednesday, signalling a slow revival of economic activity.

Fuel consumption, a proxy for oil demand in Asia’s third biggest economy, totalled 14.65 million tonnes in May, 47.4% higher than in April but still 23.3% lower than a year earlier, the data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the ministry showed.

Local sales of refined products in the world’s third biggest oil importer and consumer had fallen to their lowest since 2007 in April as the nation imposed a complete lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.