Fuel consumption to hit 200 mn tonnes in 2016-17: Oil ministry

That would be the highest in 16 years; fuel consumption surged 10.9% to 183.5 mn tonnes in 2015-16

India's fuel consumption is likely to hit 200 million tonnes in 2016-17, an oil ministry executive said on Monday, in what would be the highest such level in at least 16 years.

"Demand for petroleum products is increasing as the economy grows. India has the best growth amongst the large economies in the world ... we have massive hunger for petroleum products," said oil ministry Additional Secretay A K Sawhney.

India's fuel consumption surged 10.9 per cent to 183.5 million tonnes in 2015-16.

A level of 200 million tones would compare to over 750 million tonnes in the United States last year and 500 million tonnes in China.