Diesel sale clocks 6.1% growth; first time since Covid-19 induced lockdown

The rebound in diesel demand is crucial for ramping up crude processing by Indian refiners after consumption was crushed by a strict lockdown

Diesel sales in India clocked the first year-on-year gain since February as annual festivals boosted demand for the country’s most-consumed fuel.

Sales at India’s top three fuel retailers rose 6.1% from a year earlier last month to 5.76 million tons, according to officials with direct knowledge of the data.

The nation’s two main festivals -- Dusshera and Diwali -- started mid-October and celebrations will extend for more than a month. This is the peak demand season and, as a result, a busy time for diesel-guzzling trucks hitting the roads to deliver everything from clothes to refrigerators. Crop harvesting activities also