Essar Oil is planning to fast track the launch of its fuel retail outlets, so they can touch the 1,750 figure by March next year, a top company official said.
Following the Centre's decision to deregulate the price of petrol, it will also be able to sell fuel at the same price as government-owned marketing companies -- thereby boosting sales figures, he added.
"I believe that we will be able to reach the figure of 1,750 much faster now, and may even have more outlets by the end of this financial year. Moreover, the sales volume from these outlets will go up significantly," the official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
At present, the company has 1,342 outlets.
"As the largest active private sector fuel retailer in India, we are well-placed to capture additional sales for fuel and non-fuel items. We expect to see significant volume growth in both areas. We already have in place plans to increase significantly the number of retail fuel outlets that we have across India," he said.
Essar Oil sells oil in Gujarat on a par with public sector companies. However, in other states it charges a premium of Rs 0.50-1.50.
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The official said that with the government deciding to deregulate petrol prices, Essar Oil would be able to achieve parity in the prices of petrol and diesel.
Stating that this will help the company double sales volumes at its outlets, he said, "We were selling at a higher price (than government-owned companies), so volumes were taking a hit. Now, with a level playing field, I believe we will be able to double the volume by March."
Essar Oil, which sells 70,000 kilo litres (KL) of fuel per month from its outlets, is targeting 120,000-130,000 KL by March, he said.