The consumption of the most widely used multi-purpose fuel, diesel, is on a decline in India. Its monthly consumption, which had stagnated for a long time, is now falling (chart 1). This is happening at a time when the economy is recovering.

       Petrol consumption, on the other hand, has been on a gradual rise for many years, and it has not moved from its path. A more surprising fact is that diesel use in India has declined at a rate never seen before. Diesel consumption fell at a compounded annual growth rate of 2.6 per cent between 2017 and 2021 in the April-September period (chart 2). ...