Diesel consumption in the country rose to 83.5 million tonnes while petrol consumption rose to 28.3 million tonnes during 2018-19.

In response to a query in the Lok Sabha, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, said petrol consumption stood at 26.2 million tonnes in 2017-18, and 23.8 million tonnes in 2016-17. Diesel consumption was at 81.1 million tonnes in 2017-18 and 76 million tonnes in 2016-17. Total auto fuel consumption during 2018-19 was 4 per cent higher while petrol consumption was 8 per cent and diesel consumption was 3 per cent higher than 2017-18 levels.

To help meet this demand, petrol and diesel worth ₹5,615 crore was imported during 2018-19 on the back of globally firmed up auto fuel prices. According to data shared by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the country’s diesel imports cost ₹2,483 crore while petrol imports cost ₹3,132 crore last fiscal. Pradhan said the country imported 0.7 million tonnes of petrol and 0.6 million tonnes of diesel during the financial year under review. In 2017-18, diesel imports were at 1.4 million tonnes while petrol imports stood at 0.2 million tonne, costing the exchequer ₹4,850 crore for auto fuel imports.