Diesel sales jump 8% in March amid panic buying

New Delhi: Domestic diesel sales rose 8% year-on-year in March, fuelled by panic buying with the Iran war sparking a global energy crisis. LPG sales however fell 13% due to supply curbs.

Petrol demand also rose above trend, up 7.6%, as motorists queued at filling stations in several parts of the country fearing shortages.

The government and oil companies, however, repeatedly maintained that refiners are operating at optimal capacity and that adequate stocks of crude, petrol, diesel and LPG are available in the country.


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Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) consumption remained flat in March as several flights were cancelled following the outbreak of the war. For the full year ended March, diesel sales grew 3.6%, petrol 6.5%, ATF 2%, and LPG 6%.

The spike in diesel sales may have been partly driven by bulk consumers rushing to stock up ahead of a steep hike in prices for industrial buyers, an industry executive said.