Beauty is what you buy

Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy are capitalizing on frozen pump prices by state-run companies, gaining market share through undercutting. While crude prices have fallen, state firms maintain high prices to offset LPG losses, creating a competitive advantage for private retailers. This shift is evident in increased diesel and petrol sales for the private sector.

A PNGRB study forecasts India’s natural gas consumption to surge by 60% by 2030 and double by 2040, driven by increased CNG use in vehicles, cooking, and industrial applications. City gas distribution will be a key demand driver, potentially surpassing fertilizer as the largest consumer by 2030. LNG imports are projected to more than double to meet the rising demand.

IndianOil has sharply increased its bulk diesel market share to 53.5% in April-May 2025 from 43.6% a year earlier, overtaking rivals Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy. The surge follows a strategic shift under new chairman A.S. Sahney, who prioritized market dominance over high margins.

TruAlt Bioenergy gains approval as an oil marketing company. The company plans to launch 100 retail outlets. These outlets will be located in north Karnataka and south Maharashtra. Vijay Nirani shares the company’s plan to offer petrol, diesel, E93, bio-CNG, EV charging, and battery swapping. The company sees opportunities in India’s ethanol-blended petrol program.

The corporate debt resolution of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) faces uncertainty due to a lack of clarity on lenders’ future plans for Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd (JPVL), its most valuable asset. JPVL had issued ₹3,800 crore worth of compulsory convertible preference shares (CCPS) to lenders in 2019, but the timeline for conversion into equity remains open-ended.

Car buyers in India are increasingly choosing compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles due to high fuel prices and more options in a slow market. The share of CNG models in passenger vehicle sales rose from 6.3% in 2019-20 to 19.5% last fiscal, overtaking diesel cars. Petrol cars’ share dropped from 76.3% to 57.7%, while diesel sales stayed stable at around 17-19%.

GAIL’s Dabhol LNG import terminal in Maharashtra, with a capacity of 5 million tonnes per year, has commenced full-capacity operations following the completion of a breakwater. This allows uninterrupted, year-round LNG imports, even during the monsoon season.

GAIL (India) Ltd re-sold an LNG cargo due to full storage tanks and weak power demand caused by cooler monsoon weather. This reduction in LNG imports by GAIL, India’s largest gas distributor, could decrease the nation’s overall LNG appetite.

India’s private refiners, Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy, are shifting focus to domestic fuel sales due to squeezed global profit margins. They are capitalizing on India’s growing fuel demand by offering discounts and expanding retail networks. This strategic shift allows them to leverage cheaper crude oil and compete effectively with state-owned refiners.

That’s even higher than the 359,000 bpd they had collectively committed to additionally produce under Opec+’s plan to raise output by 409,000 bpd. Saudi Arabia, the biggest contributor to the group’s supply increase, delivered the largest incremental volume to India in May, expanding its market share by 3 percentage points over April to 13.1%. The gain was driven by price cuts offered to Asian buyers. Saudi Aramco had cut the May OSP for Arab Light—its flagship grade—by $2.30 per barrel.