India’s diesel love affair continues

Demand for the fuel is poised for further growth, but government regulation and changing habits could eventually undermine its primacy

Diesel is the most popular fuel in India by a wide margin and accounts for nearly 40% of the country’s overall refined fuel consumption. Overall, India’s expanding fuel consumption continues to demonstrate the country’s rapid economic growth. In the 2022–23 financial year, India consumed 222.30mt of petroleum products, an increase of 10.2% over the previous year, according to data from the government’s Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC). Diesel consumption in the country stood at 85.90mt during the year, while gasoline consumption was 34.98mt. Consumption reached 44mt during the first half of the 2023–24 financial year (April 2023 to September 2023), c, a 6.3% year-on-year increas