Fuel Delivery startup MyPetrolPump suspends operations

By Raaghav G R

Posted on July 5, 2017

India is a land of youthful talent. There are many talented youths in India who run innovative startups which provide essential services to the society. One such Bengaluru – based startup was MyPetrolPump, which was based on a never – before – heard – of – idea, delivering petrol or diesel to people’s homes! The startup has recently hit a dead – end as the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) directed the petrol pumps in Karnataka not to sell fuel to the startup citing ‘safety reasons‘. Read more on Closure

MyPetrolPump’s CEO, Ashish Kumar had recently written a letter to the Union Oil Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan and PESO requesting them to pass an interim order which would allow the startup to deliver a limited quantity of fuel to people’s homes thereby allowing the startup to resume its operations on a pilot basis until PESO notifies guidelines for doorstep fuel delivery businesses. The Oil Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan had also indicated during April, this year (2017) that the Government of India was exploring ways to facilitate home delivery of petroleum products.

MyPetrolPump was founded on June 18th, 2017 and within a week had acquired three tanker trucks whose fuel carrying capacity was 950 liters each. The startup had to suspend operations in just four days after it started delivering fuel to people’s homes due to the circular issued by PESO to oil companies. Ever since the circular was issued, MyPetrolPump has lost over Rs. 30 lakhs in business revenue.

“The firm had sourced its funds from our hard – earned savings”, Ashish Kumar said.

Dharmendra Pradhan had written a letter to IOCL General Manager, Amarendra Kumar on 22nd June, this year (2017) stating that IOCL should not supply fuel to such doorstep fuel delivery startups and that it should also intimate the other oil companies in the state (Karnataka) like BP, HP, etcetera not to do the same. The reason stated for the ban was that the act of doorstep delivery of petroleum products is “illegal and fraught with danger” to the public and property in the absence of guidelines pertaining to safety and procedures. MyPetrolPump’s fuel delivery trucks also did not meet the safety standards laid down by the PESO in 2002. PESO’s safety rules also state that no motor vehicle or container can be filled directly from a truck carrying fuel. One more rule is that fuel shall not be filled in a container apart from the one clamped or fitted inside a motor vehicle.

“We had delivered close to 5,000 liters of diesel and petrol until our business was suspended”, Ashish Kumar said.

MyPetrolPump had more than a hundred customers including 30 schools and a few apartments. Read more on Startup News

Fuel Delivery startup MyPetrolPump suspends operations