Consumption of diesel, petrol rises in April as economic activity picks up

New Delhi: India’s consumption of petroleum products such as diesel, petrol and LPG recorded a significant increase in April this year, reflecting the rising level of economic activity in the country.  India’s diesel consumption rose to 8.24 million tonnes in April, which is the second highest monthly consumption ever, as demand from the agricultural and transport sectors grew during the month, according to data compiled by the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC). The 4 per cent year-on-year growth came on the back of a high base in April 2024, when diesel consumption had surged by double digits due to the electoral campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls. The high growth in the consumption of diesel, which constitutes close to 40 per cent of fuel sales, reflects the higher economic activity in both the farm and logistics sectors of the economy. The fuel is also consumed in the industrial and mining sectors, which also account for part of the growth. Similarly, petrol consumption registered a growth of 4.6 percent to 3.44 million tonnes in April. Petrol consumption last year had soared by 19 per cent due to hectic campaigning carried out by various political parties in the Lok Sabha elections. The growth comes on a high base as vehicle sales have been on the rise in a growing economy. LPG consumption also recorded a significant 6.7 percent growth during the month to 2.62 million tonnes, as the Centre’s Ujjwala scheme brought the fuel within the reach of poor families. Besides, commercial consumption of the fuel in hotels and restaurants has also gone up. (IANS)

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