A Look Back at the Country’s First Fuel Station

India’s first petrol pump was established in 1928 on Hughes Road in Mumbai by Burmah Shell, the company that later evolved into Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. At a time when automobiles were just beginning to gain popularity in the country, the availability of fuel was a major challenge for vehicle owners. The opening of the fuel station marked a significant milestone in India's transportation and energy sectors.

Historical records indicate that during that era, a single rupee could purchase more than 16 litres of petrol, reflecting the vastly different economic conditions of the time. As the number of vehicles on Indian roads steadily increased over the decades, fuel stations expanded and modernized to meet growing demand. Today, India boasts one of the largest fuel distribution networks in the world, a journey that began with a single petrol pump in Mumbai nearly a century ago.