Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries to foray in fuel retail, major expansion on cards

The country’s largest private sector oil and gas operator would initially start the 750 fuel stations, which were closed due to uncompetitive fuel rates compared with the public sector fuel stations. The company plans to eventually increase the number to 5,000 outlets after diesel prices are completely deregulated.

A senior RIL official informed that the company is looking at all the strategic locations across the country especially in the north and the east, where it does not have a presence. Also, it is taking a fresh look at already identified locations to find if those have now come to be served by BPCL, HPCL or IOC pumps.

Mukesh Ambani’s company, at present, has its presence in 12 states and plans to have its footprints in other states too.

The Indian government on June 25 deregulated petrol prices, as a result of which retail price of motor spirit was increased by Rs 3.50 per litre. It also announced that the empowered group of ministers had decided to deregulate diesel prices, but had allowed the retail price to be raised by only Rs 2 per litre for now.

Mukesh Ambani’s RIL has been supplying fuel at almost the same rate as public sector companies from 650 outlets mostly in the southern and western regions of the country. The company was forced to shut around 750 fuel stations in 2008 because it was not able to match the subsidized prices of HPCL, BPCL and Indian Oil.

The company has four types of petrol pumps which includes the Avon Plazas, where it provides all sorts of facilities to customers, such as restaurants, telephone facilities and lavatories. It also plans to open pumps with garages, where trucks and other vehicles can be repaired.

According to a report RIL should gain from the recent price hike and the deregulation of petrol prices, as it currently has around 1,500 outlets ready to tap gasoline marketing margins.