Private fuel retailers gain market share as PSUs refuse to lower prices

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.

Private fuel retailers Reliance Industries and Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy are profiting from a market distortion created by state-run companies' refusal to cut pump prices, even as international fuel prices have fallen sharply.Crude prices are down 20 per cent year-on-year, petrol by 14 per cent and diesel by 17 per cent , yet domestic pump prices remain frozen. This has resulted in windfall margins for both state-run and private-sector fuel retailers.

Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy are using these margins to undercut state-run firms by up to ₹3 per litre, steadily eroding their market share in the retail petrol and diesel business, according to industry executives. In April-May, the private sector's share of diesel sales increased to 11.5 per cent from 9.6 per cent a year earlier. In petrol, the share increased to 10 per cent from 9 per cent .

At the same time, in the bulk diesel business, state-run and private suppliers were locked in a fierce battle, offering fuel at steep discounts to retail prices-highlighting just how much room there is to cut prices in a truly competitive market, according to executives. State-run Indian Oil Corporation regained significant share from private players in the bulk diesel segment during April-May.

State-run firms are reluctant to reduce pump prices, multiple executives said, as they want to use the expanded margins from petrol and diesel to offset losses incurred on LPG sales to households. The government regulates LPG prices and is expected to compensate state-run firms for losses when the fuel is sold below market rates. However, in 2024-25, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Petroleum suffered a combined loss of ₹41,266 crore on LPG sales and received no compensation. Private fuel retailers, by contrast, do not bear such LPG-related losses.