Private fuel pumps cap diesel sales as bulk buyers rush retail

Private fuel retailers Jio-bp and Nayara Energy have capped diesel purchases at their petrol pumps after industrial and other bulk consumers began shifting to retail outlets to take advantage of cheaper fuel, sources told PTI. Jio-bp has limited purchases to 50 litres per customer per day, while Nayara Energy's limits range from 70 to 200 litres. State-run Indian Oil Corporation, BPCL and HPCL are also likely to impose similar restrictions.

The shift follows a widening gap between retail diesel prices, unchanged since May, and rates for bulk consumers that move with international crude oil costs. The difference has reached as much as Rs 40 per litre, prompting factories, data centres and hospitals using diesel generator sets to buy 400 to 600 litres at a time from retail pumps. This has strained station inventories, which can take days to replenish. A Jio-bp spokesperson said the company was taking measures to ensure equitable fuel availability given the prevailing demand dynamics.