• In a move that can be a potential game-changer in the petroleum fuel retail market in India, Indian Oil has launched world-class premium grade Petrol (Octane 100) in the country.

    • Branded as XP100, the premium grade petrol was launched across ten cities.

    • The technology for India’s first 100 Octane petrol has been indigenously created by Indian Oil R&D, which is indeed a matter of pride.

    • Indian Oil plans to roll-out XP100 premium grade petrol in 15identified cities across the country in two phases.

    • In the first phase, it has been made available at select ROs w.e.f December 1, 2020, in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad.

    • In the second phase, the availability of this 100 Octane petrol would be extended to Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Kolkata.

    • These cities have been selected basis their aspirational demographics and availability of high-end cars and bikes dealerships in these cities.

    • High-end premium vehicles equipped with the latest technology are fully geared to reap the full-throttle benefits of 100 Octane petrol.

    • Worldwide, 100 Octane petrol has a niche market for luxury vehicles that demand high performance, and is available only in six countries like Germany, USA, etc.

    • Octane ratings are measures of fuel stability. It is a measure of a fuel's ability to avoid knock. Knock occurs when fuel is prematurely ignited in the engine's cylinder, which degrades efficiency and can be damaging to the engine.

    • The higher the octane number, the more resistant the petrol mixture is to knock.

    • At most retail stations, three octane grade are offered, 87 (regular), 89 (mid-grade) and 91-94 (premium).

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)