While petrol sales were up mostly due to an increase in the use of personal vehicles on the back of a price cut, crop harvesting season and the onset of summer, which will increase the demand for air conditioning in cars as well as the electioneering holds out hope for reversing the trend in diesel demand.
In first half of the year, OPEC expects India’s oil demand to increase by an average of around 250 thousand bpd year-on-year, supported by robust economic activity
Domestic diesel demand is projected to rise from 1.8 million barrels per day (mbd) in 2023 to 2.3 mbd in 2030, an increase of 4.5% annually, IEA said in its India Oil Market Outlook. By comparison, petrol demand is estimated to rise a modest 0.7% every year to 1 mbd in 2030 from 0.9 mbd in 2023. For the last many years, diesel consumption has grown at a much slower pace than petrol as preference for petrol cars grew after deregulation eroded diesel s price advantage.
The consumption of diesel, which accounts for 38% of total refined products demand in the country, had contracted 3% year-on-year in November after an unusual 6% growth in the April-October period. Diesel is mainly used in long-haul transport, backup generators, mining, and farming.
Diesel Demand: The consumption of diesel, which accounts for 38% of total refined products demand in the country, had contracted 3% year-on-year in November after an unusual 6% growth in the April-October period. Diesel is mainly used in long-haul transport, backup generators, mining, and farming.