India’s petrol sales fall in first half of June

Indian state retailers’ sales of gasoline fell in the first half of June from the same period last month as well as a year earlier, preliminary sales data showed on Friday, as a heat wave curtailed mobility.

Sales of gasoline, used in passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, fell 3.8% to 1.31 million tonnes in the first half of June from the same period a month ago, the data showed. However, sales of gasoil, mainly used by trucks, rose 3.4% to 3.43 million tonnes, according to the data reported by Reuters.

Gasoil accounts for about two-fifths of refined fuel consumption in India and is directly linked to industrial activity. State-run companies – Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum –