RIL had 14.8% share in direct or bulk sales of diesel in March, up from 13.3% a year ago and 9.3% in the corresponding month of 2021, according to industry data.
Nayara Energy's share increased to 10.9% in March from 8.7% a year ago and 2.6% in 2021. Together, the two refiners had a share of 25.7% in March, up from 22% in the previous year and 11.9% in 2021.
Private players have been wooing large customers with aggressive price offers. Railways, state road transport departments, mining and other industries consume big volumes of diesel and buy directly from refiners.
The private sector's growing business resulted in a decline in state refiners' market share to 74.3% in March. Among state refiners, Indian Oil Corporation remained the leader in bulk diesel sales, followed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation.
The overall bulk diesel sales volumes in the country expanded 27% in March year-on-year. However, the sales were 7% lower than in the corresponding month of 2021.
Bulk sales are just about 12% of the total diesel sales in the country, with the balance sold through pumps. In March, diesel sales at pumps grew less than 1% year-on-year. Pump sales of diesel were, however, up 14.5% from the March 2021 level.
Private sector pumps had a share of just 10% in retail sales of diesel in March, with the balance 90% accounted for by the state-run refiners. RIL had a 4.6% share and Nayara Energy 5.4% in diesel retail sales.
Nayara Energy operates 6,600 pumps and RIL 1,700 pumps, together making up about a tenth of the total pumps in the country.
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