New Delhi, March 20 -- Public sector oil marketing companies IndianOil, Hindustan Petroleum and privation bound Bharat Petroleum remained active in the country's oil market in 2020 even though the pandemic and lockdown severely dented demand for petroleum products.

Even with petrol and diesel sales remaining below the pre-Covid levels in the last part of 2020, the PSU oil companies continued to invest in expanding their retail outlets with the three adding 5482 retail outlets in the 10-month period of FY21 up to January end 2021.

The private sector on the other hand remained mute on their marketing initiatives adding a mere 376 fuel outlets.

Among the PSUs, IOC added 2147, BPCL - 1,792 and HPCL - 1543 retail outlets in the April-Januar...