Diesel curbs raise concerns for those dependent on generator power

15 JUNE 2026

On June 11, 2026, the government barred industrial, commercial and institutional consumers from purchasing diesel at petrol pumps and limited sales through retail outlets to 200 litres per customer or vehicle per day, a move aimed at conserving supplies and preventing diversion of fuel meant for retail consumers.
This had raised concerns among hospitals, IT campuses, data centres and industrial facilities that rely heavily on diesel generators not only as emergency backup but also as a regular source of power during peak-demand periods.
Hospitals are among the most vulnerable. Large healthcare facilities typically maintain multiple diesel generator sets capable of powering entire campuses during grid disruptions and often run them proactively during surgeries, intensive-care operations and other critical procedures where even momentary voltage fluctuations can pose risks to patients.
Data centres, IT parks and telecom facilities also rely extensively on diesel-based backup systems to meet uptime commitments.