Government considering home delivery of petroleum products

The Government of India is considering a home delivery system for the distribution of petrol and diesel. This step is being taken to minimise the loss of fuel and time while waiting in long queues at fuel stations. The project is still in the ideation stages and thus its implementation is still in a distant future.

In the current system, people need to go to a nearby filling station to fill up their vehicle's fuel tank. According to government data, around 350 million people come to fuel stations across India, every day. A significant share of customers is also forced to wait in long queues before they can fill up, especially in major cities. This leads to wastage of fuel as well as time, something that the government is trying to minimise using the said home delivery system.

If the planned project does materialise, people will need to pre-book fuel, which will then be delivered at their doorstep. The government hasn't yet described the entire infrastructure arrangement for delivery of fuel.

This move will also boost the number of digital transactions in the fuel sector. The government currently estimates an annual transaction of around Rs. 2,500 crore in the country's petroleum industry. To get fuel delivery at their homes, customers will likely be required to pre-book it online, with the payment being done through digital means. As a result, this project will also give a push to the government's aim to promote digital transactions in the country.

State-owned fuel marketing companies - Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), have reportedly been asked to draw a plan on how to implement this home delivery system across the country. However, no specific timeline has been mentioned to start the said project.

Source: NDTV Profit