India witnesses a surge in the number of petrol pumps

India has recorded a 45 per cent increase in the number of petrol pump outlets during the period 2011 to 2017, possibly the highest growth rate in the world. As per data available from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, as of October 2017, India has 60,799 outlets dispensing petrol and diesel, an increase from the 41,947 outlets that the country had in 2011. In 2011, of the 41,947 outlets, 2,983 (7.1 per cent) were owned or operated by private retailers like Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Essar Oil; this has increased to 9 per cent (5,474 outlets) as of date. The major private players are RIL, Essar Oil and Royal Dutch Shell. Further, of the 60,799 petrol pumps in the country at present, 55,325 are owned by state-owned fuel retailers, that is, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and IOCL.