Petrol sales back to pre-Covid level in September; diesel just 6% short
New Delhi: Petrol sales have fully recovered to pre-Covid level and diesel is down just about 6% in the first half of September from a year earlier, signalling people and industry were eager to get on with their lives despite a record jump in infection rates.
In the first fortnight of September, petrol sales rose 2% from a year earlier and 7% compared to August. Diesel sales were down 5.5% year on year but rose 20% month on month, as per sales data from state-run fuel retailers who control nearly 90% of the domestic market.
This is a dramatic turnaround for fuel demand following weak recovery in July and August. Demand for diesel and petrol were down by 21% and 7.4%, respectively, in August from a year earlier.
