India’s petrol sales rose 2 per cent in September – the first increase since the country’s lockdown in late March – signalling demand returning to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Diesel sales continue to be below normal but have shown a month-on-month increase, according to provisional data from state-owned fuel retailers who control 90 per cent of the market.
Petrol sales in September rose 2 per cent year-on-year and were up 10.5 per cent over the previous month.
Diesel sales continue to be in the negative territory, with demand falling 7 per cent year-on-year. But the demand was 22 per cent higher over August 2020.
This is the first time that petrol sales in the world’s third-largest oil importer have risen since the March 25 nationwide lockdown crippled economic activity and sent demand plummeting.
