No retail petrol, diesel for industries: Govt
In a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted fuel availability for ordinary consumers and preventing hoarding, the Centre, through a Gazette notification on Friday, barred industrial, commercial and institutional users from purchasing petrol and diesel from retail fuel outlets and directed them to procure fuel through designated bulk supply channels instead.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued the Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, directing oil marketing companies and fuel retailers to restrict bulk purchases from retail outlets for periods extending up to 90 days. In Delhi, diesel at retail outlets costs Rs 95.20 per litre, while bulk sale pricing stands at Rs 134.50.
The Government said the measures were aimed at ensuring the “equitable availability” of petrol and diesel, preventing hoarding and diversion, and maintaining uninterrupted supplies across the country. State and Union territory administrations have also been tasked with ensuring full implementation of the order, including action against hoarding, black marketing, unauthorised procurement, diversion and other irregularities.
Under the new order, industrial units, commercial establishments and institutional consumers may be prohibited from buying petrol and diesel from petrol pumps and will instead have to source fuel through their own consumer pumps or authorised bulk supply arrangements.
By restricting bulk buyers from purchasing fuel at petrol pumps, the Government aims to prevent long queues, local supply disruptions and panic buying in areas where demand has surged. The move is also intended to ensure that retail fuel prices, which remain significantly lower than bulk rates, continue to benefit ordinary consumers rather than large commercial users.
The Government said the move was necessitated by the “current prevailing geopolitical situation affecting certain regions of the world” that has adversely impacted international petroleum supply chains, shipping logistics and the availability of petroleum products.
“It has been observed in current situation that abnormal increases in sales of Motor Spirit (petrol) and High Speed Diesel (diesel) through Retail Outlets in certain parts of the country are driven by shifting of industrial, commercial and institutional consumers to Retail Outlets owing to the price difference between retail and bulk sale prices,” the notification said.
The notification also restricts diesel sales at retail outlets to vehicle fuel tanks or Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)-approved containers, with purchases capped at 200 litres per customer or vehicle per day. Such diesel “cannot be resold”, the order said.
While bulk users such as telecom towers and industries using diesel for power generation and other feedstock needs are charged market price, the retail pump rates are way lower than cost.
Citing global conditions, the Government said the move was necessary because of the “current prevailing geopolitical situation affecting certain regions of the world”, which has disrupted international petroleum supply chains, shipping logistics and the availability of petroleum products.
The order empowers public-sector oil marketing companies and other authorised fuel retailers to enforce the restrictions and requires State Governments and union territories to take action against hoarding, black marketing, unauthorised procurement and diversion of fuel supplies.
