Govt grants BP Plc licence to set up petrol pumps in India

Government has formally granted a licence to BP, Europe's third-biggest oil company, to set up 3,500 petrol pumps in India.The UK-based firm, as also Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd, was given approval by the Oil Ministry to retail petrol and diesel. 

BP has been granted licence to market Motor Spirit (petrol) and High Speed Diesel (diesel).

The company had in January this year won



in-principle approval to retail aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to airlines in India.State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) owns 25,363 petrol pumps, Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) 13,802 stations and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) 13,439 outlets.

Kolkata-based Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) was the latest company to get licence to set up upto 100 petrol pumps,mostly in West Bengal.