Fuel demand picks up in July, petrol back to pre-Covid level

State-owned fuel retailers sold 2.37 million tonnes of petrol in July, up 17 per cent from the year earlier period.

fuel consumption india, Petrol consumptin, fuel demand, sale of diesel, Business news, indian express, indian express news

This is the second straight month that showed a rise in consumption since March. (Representational)

The country’s fuel demand picked up in July as easing of pandemic-related restrictions accelerated economic activity, helping petrol consumption reach pre-Covid levels, preliminary sales data showed on Sunday.

State-owned fuel retailers sold 2.37 million tonnes of petrol in July, up 17 per cent from the year earlier period. It was 3.56 per cent higher than pre-Covid petrol sales of 2.39 million tonnes in July 2019.

Sales of diesel — the most used fuel in the country — rose 12.36 per cent to 5.45 million tonnes over the previous year, but was down 10.9 per cent from July 2019.

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This is the second straight month that showed a rise in consumption since March.

Fuel demand had recovered to near-normal levels in March before the onset of the second wave of Covid infections led to the re-imposition of lockdowns in different states, stalling mobility and muting economic activity.

Consumption in May slumped to its lowest since August last year amid lockdowns and restrictions in several states.

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