BPCL to add 400 outlets

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL), one of India’s largest oil marketing companies, plans to add 400 retail outlets in the current fiscal year, in an effort that one expert said would strengthen its retail presence before other companies did so. Our per-outlet investment ranges from Rs40 lakh (US$98, 900) to Rs4 crore (US$986,190), depending on the location and the size of the outlet, said S.K. Joshi, director, finance, BPCL. India’s consumption of petroleum products is around 112 million tons a year. (July 25, 2007)