<article><p class="lead">India's diesel use in November rose by 27pc on the year and by 21pc from the previous month as expansion of the economy, a harvesting season, and polls in two key states spurred use of diesel. </p><p>Gasoline consumption rose by 12pc on the year and by 5pc on the month, according to preliminary data from state-controlled refiners that control more than 90pc of the country's fuel market.</p><p>Demand for diesel, India's most consumed oil product, averaged 1.82mn b/d in November, up by about 21pc from 1.51mn b/d in October and by 27pc from 1.43mn b/d a year earlier. Gasoline consumption averaged 749,000 b/d in November, up by 4.6pc from 716,000 b/d in October and by 12pc from 671,000 b/d a year earlier. Jet fuel demand reached 150,200 b/d last month, rising by 21pc from 124,000 b/d a year earlier, but still trailing the 173,000 b/d in pre-pandemic 2019. </p><p>There are state polls taking place in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, and electioneering involves heavy use of diesel vehicles. Demand for diesel and gasoline also grew from a lower base in Covid-19-affected November 2021. India's economy expanded by 6.3pc in the July-September quarter, according to government data. </p><p>LPG demand rose by 8pc from a year earlier to 2.56mn t, and by 7pc from October's 2.39mn t.</p><p>The Indian government has frozen retail prices of diesel, gasoline and LPG fuels for several months, leading to heavy losses for state refiners including IOC, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum. </p><p class="bylines">By S Dinakar</p></article>
