India’s biggest oil retailers are now focusing on rural revival SECTIONS Last Updated: Mar 01, 2021, 02:20 PM IST Share Synopsis Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum — two of the three biggest fuel retailers — both said they planned to raise the proportion of outlets they have in rural areas this year. India is pinning its hopes on the agricultural sector to help the economy recover after its worst recession since the 1950s. If there’s one part of India’s economy that’s been relatively unscathed by the devastating impact of Covid-19 it’s the vast rural hinterlands. And the country’s biggest fuel retailers are sitting up and taking notice.