India, Sept. 1 -- Petrol and diesel sales by India's three state-run fuel retailers rose sharply in August, driven by erratic monsoon rainfall that increased fuel demand from farmers and motorists, according to preliminary industry sales data released on Tuesday, September 1.

Petrol sales by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) increased 9.1 per cent year-on-year to 3.48 million tonnes in August, compared with 3.19 million tonnes in the same month last year.

The growth followed a 9.7 per cent year-on-year rise in petrol sales in July.

August petrol sales were also 14 per cent higher than the 3.05 million tonnes recorded in August 2024 and 30.7 per cent above the level seen in A...