Petrol sales climb 9% in May, diesel demand tepid

NEW DELHI: Petrol consumption spiked for the second month in a row in May as summer season travel pushed up demand but diesel sales remained tepid, according to provisional industry data.

Petrol consumption rose 8.77 per cent to 3.76 million tonnes in May, from 3.46 million tonnes a year back. Its demand was up 12.45 per cent, over consumption of 3.35 million tonnes in May 2023.

April too had seen similar growth in sales.

Diesel sales were up 2 per cent to 8.57 million tonnes, the data showed. The consumption of India’s most used fuel has rebounded since the last month. Diesel, the lifeline of transport and rural agri economy, saw just 2 per cent growth in demand in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025.