<p>India's annual fuel demand grew 0.2% in 2019/20, its worst growth rate in over two decades, dragged down by a hefty 17.8% decline in local consumption in March as steps taken to prevent the spread of <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/coronavirus-live-news-covid-19-latest-updates">COVID-19</a> dented transport fuel sales.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-indias-toll-climbs-to-274-as-total-number-of-cases-breaches-7700-817763.html">Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here</a></strong></p>.<p>Consumption of refined fuels, a proxy for oil demand, totalled 16.08 million tonnes in March, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry showed on Monday.</p>.<p>Falling refined fuels sales in March points to sluggish industrial activity in Asia's third largest economy, which according to some analysts is forecast to grow at 1.5-2% in 2020/21, its lowest in decades.</p>.<p>A Reuters poll of economists showed it is expected to have expanded at its slowest pace in eight years in the first quarter and would slow further this quarter.</p>.<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Tuesday, the last day of the current 21-day lockdown, and is widely expected to extend the closure except the start of some essential manufacturing units.</p>.<p>Due to restrictions on movement and travel advisories, India's consumption of diesel, petrol and aviation turbine declined massively during March.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-april-13-824675.html">Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths</a></strong></p>.<p>Consumption of diesel, which normally accounts for two-fifths of overall refined fuel consumption, declined 24.2% in March from a year earlier, its deepest decline since April 1998. PPAC do not provide monthly growth numbers for before April 1998. Sales of gasoline, or petrol, used by automobiles fell by 16.4% from a year earlier, its worst slide since March 1999, the data showed.</p>.<p>For a table on India's fuels sales see:</p>.<p>Jet fuel consumption declined by 32.4% as the lockdown has hit air travel.</p>.<p>Cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales rose about 1.9% to 2.31 million tonnes, and naphtha sales rose 15.7% to 1.39 million tonnes.</p>.<p>Sales of bitumen, used for making roads, dropped about 41%, while fuel oil use fell 10.3% in March.</p>.<p>Slump in fuel demand has already forced some refiners to halve crude processing and raise prompt exports of refined fuels.</p>
<p>India's annual fuel demand grew 0.2% in 2019/20, its worst growth rate in over two decades, dragged down by a hefty 17.8% decline in local consumption in March as steps taken to prevent the spread of <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/coronavirus-live-news-covid-19-latest-updates">COVID-19</a> dented transport fuel sales.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-indias-toll-climbs-to-274-as-total-number-of-cases-breaches-7700-817763.html">Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here</a></strong></p>.<p>Consumption of refined fuels, a proxy for oil demand, totalled 16.08 million tonnes in March, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry showed on Monday.</p>.<p>Falling refined fuels sales in March points to sluggish industrial activity in Asia's third largest economy, which according to some analysts is forecast to grow at 1.5-2% in 2020/21, its lowest in decades.</p>.<p>A Reuters poll of economists showed it is expected to have expanded at its slowest pace in eight years in the first quarter and would slow further this quarter.</p>.<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Tuesday, the last day of the current 21-day lockdown, and is widely expected to extend the closure except the start of some essential manufacturing units.</p>.<p>Due to restrictions on movement and travel advisories, India's consumption of diesel, petrol and aviation turbine declined massively during March.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-april-13-824675.html">Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths</a></strong></p>.<p>Consumption of diesel, which normally accounts for two-fifths of overall refined fuel consumption, declined 24.2% in March from a year earlier, its deepest decline since April 1998. PPAC do not provide monthly growth numbers for before April 1998. Sales of gasoline, or petrol, used by automobiles fell by 16.4% from a year earlier, its worst slide since March 1999, the data showed.</p>.<p>For a table on India's fuels sales see:</p>.<p>Jet fuel consumption declined by 32.4% as the lockdown has hit air travel.</p>.<p>Cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales rose about 1.9% to 2.31 million tonnes, and naphtha sales rose 15.7% to 1.39 million tonnes.</p>.<p>Sales of bitumen, used for making roads, dropped about 41%, while fuel oil use fell 10.3% in March.</p>.<p>Slump in fuel demand has already forced some refiners to halve crude processing and raise prompt exports of refined fuels.</p>