Business
India’s fuel demand dips to lowest in over two years

India’s fuel demand slipped to its lowest in over two years in September after a fall in diesel and industrial fuel consumption negated the rise in petrol and LPG consumption.
Consumption of petroleum products in September dropped to 16.01 million tonnes, its lowest since July 2017, from 16.06 million tonnes in the same month last year, according to data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC).
Diesel, the most used fuel in the country, saw demand drop by 3.2 per cent to 5.8 million tonnes, while naphtha sales were down by a quarter to 844,000 tonnes.
Bitumen, used in road construction, too saw consumption drop by 7.3 per cent to 343,000 tonnes. Fuel oil sales edged 3.8 per cent lower in September to 525,000 tonnes.
These downward trends negated the rise in cooking gas (LPG) and petrol demand.
The sale of petrol rose 6.2 per cent to 2.37 million tonnes, but sale of jet fuel or ATF fell 1.6 per cent to 666,000 tonnes.
LPG consumption surged 6 per cent to 2.18 million tonnes on the back of government’s push for the use of cleaner fuel in household kitchens in rural areas in place of firewood to check pollution and safeguard the health of women.
Kerosene, which is fast being replaced by LPG and natural gas as a cooking medium, saw demand fall almost 38 per cent to 176,000 tonnes.
Petroleum coke consumption was however 18 per cent higher at 1.73 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, Fitch Solutions revised downward its India oil demand forecast, reflecting a deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop and rising risks to growth.
“We now forecast demand growth to average 3.8 per cent y-o-y over the three years to 2021, down from 4.6 per cent previously,” it said, adding softening of Indian fuel demand adds to an increasingly bearish outlook for fuel demand globally.
“We had previously flagged India as the outperformer, forecast to overtake China as the global engine for growth. While the view still holds in the longer term, the near-term prospects have weakened,” it said.
More diversified demand growth will offer a level of resilience moving forward, but structurally lower demand growth in China and common Asian emerging markets’ exposure to a weaker external environment will drag to the downside.
“We have revised down our India oil demand forecast, reflecting a deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop and rising risks to growth. In part this reflects the downward revision to the country’s GDP growth forecast,” Fitch said.
“Growth has disappointed expectations, dragged down by slowing private consumption, weakened investment and underperformance in the services sector,” it added.
In response, the government has unleashed a raft of stimulus measures, including tax cuts, a liquidity boost for the banking sector and higher spending on autos.
“Our Country Risk analysts are relatively bullish on the prospects for headline economic growth from 2020 onwards, forecasting a rebound from 6.4 per cent in real terms in 2019, to 6.9 per cent and 7.3 per cent in 2020 and 2021, respectively,” it said.
Auto sales growth is also set to recover next year, supported by low base effects and improved policy support, which will, in turn, offer a lift to oil demand, it said.
“That said, we do not expect demand growth to return to its 2018 highs, as a challenging external environment, stresses in the banking and shadow banking sectors and tight fiscal constraints on the government mar performance in several of the more energy-intensive segments of the domestic economy,” it added.
Business
Breaking News: Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse Sends Shockwaves Through Financial World – Is India’s Banking System Next to Crumble?

Image Source: maxpixel.net
Are Indian Banks Ready to Face the Heat of Rising Interest Rates?
As Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) faces the heat of collapsing amidst rising domestic interest rates, Indian banks are left wondering if they are next in line. With the Indian economy still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospect of rising interest rates could lead to a devastating blow to the country’s banking sector. Will Indian banks be able to weather the storm or will they collapse like SVB?
Indian banks have already faced a tumultuous few years with multiple frauds and defaults taking place, leaving many questioning their resilience. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) indicating that it may hike interest rates in the near future, the pressure on Indian banks is set to increase. The question remains – are Indian banks prepared to face the heat of rising interest rates or will they buckle under the pressure? Only time will tell.
Business
Delhi: Businesses can now remain open 24×7, over 300 applications cleared by L-G

Photo by Rehan Fazal on Unsplash
From restaurants to transport services and BPOs to online delivery services, all those who apply for exemptions will be allowed to operate 24×7 in Delhi starting next week, with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena approving the proposal to exempt 314 such places to operate all day long, some of them pending since 2016, officials said.
“The L-G has directed that notification to this effect be issued within seven days. The decision of providing exemption under Sections 14, 15 & 16 of the Delhi Shops & Establishment Act, 1954, is expected to boost employment generation and promote a positive and favorable business environment that is a prerequisite for economic growth. The decision will also provide a fillip to the much desired ‘nightlife’ in the city,” said an official.
Source: IndianExpress
Business
Swiggy Instamart figures, Mumbaikars ordered 570 times more condoms in the last one year

Customers are also ordering medical-related things through online shopping platforms. In metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore, people are buying goods online in large numbers. People living in metro cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai ordered an average of 6 million eggs in the last year.
These days people are doing online shopping fiercely in the country. Through Grocery Service Platforms, the goods of need are easily reaching people’s homes. From vegetables to medicines, just a few clicks on the smartphone are reaching people’s doorsteps. According to a survey, Swiggy Instamart has provided service to more than 9 million users between June 2021 and June 2022. In metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore, people are buying goods online in large numbers.
Healthcare products orders
Customers are also ordering medical-related things through online shopping platforms. According to a survey, Mumbaikars have ordered 570 times more condoms in the last 12 months. At the same time, in 2021, Instamart received orders for about two million sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, and tampons. Apart from this, a lot of orders have also been received for grocery items.
56 lakh packets of noodles ordered
According to the survey, between April and June last year, there was a 42 percent increase in the demand for ice cream in these metro cities. It was also learned that most of the orders were placed after 10 pm. In metro cities, people have ordered 5.6 million packets of instant noodles. In Hyderabad, users ordered around 27,000 bottles of fresh juice during the summer months.
60 lakh eggs ordered
The demand for eggs has increased manifold in the last two years. People living in metro cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai ordered an average of 6 million eggs in the last year. According to the report, customers from Bangalore and Hyderabad ordered the maximum number of eggs for breakfast. At the same time, people of Mumbai, Jaipur, and Coimbatore have ordered the maximum number of eggs online at the time of dinner.
Demand for dairy products
There has been a huge jump in orders for both tea and coffee. According to the report, there has been an increase of 2,000 percent in its demand. At the same time, 3 crore orders of milk have come for milk. People from Bangalore and Mumbai have placed more orders in the morning. Regular milk, full cream milk and toned milk are the most ordered dairy products.
Ordering fruits and vegetables
Orders for 62,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables have been received in the last year. With 12,000 orders, Bengaluru tops the list of organic product buyers. At the same time, Hyderabad and Bangalore together have ordered more than 290 tonnes of green chilies in 12 months. Over 2 lakh orders have been received for bathroom cleaners, scrub pads, drain cleaners, and more in the last year.
Source: Aajtak
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