Petrol, diesel sales drop 17% in May on slow demand due to Covid lockdowns

India’s petrol and diesel sales fell by about 17 per cent in May from a month ago as restrictions clamped to curb the world’s worst outbreak of coronavirus infections stifled demand.

Sales of petrol — used in cars and motorcycles — fell to 1.79 million tonne in May, the lowest in a year, according to the preliminary data of state-owned fuel retailers.

While the consumption was almost 13 per cent higher than demand in May 2020, it was 28 per cent lower than pre-COVID levels of 2.49 million tonne.

India was under one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in May last year, which brought all mobility and economic activity to a grinding halt.