Mumbai, Aug 16: Essar Oil Ltd is set to roll out its first retail petrol outlet (RPO) at Ratnagiri next month. This will be the first such RPO to come up in the private sector after the administered price mechanism was done away with. The first franchaisee outlet would be ready and opened in the first week of September and plans are underway to have 40-50 outlets in Maharashtra and Gujarat by March 2004, EOL chief executive (marketing) R K Verma told reporters here.
With financial institutions approving debt restructuring proposals last month, the Essar Group company is going full steam ahead to put in place its retail outlets to start with.

EOL has already imported 23,000 tonnes of diesel during the last two months and is now talking to oil companies for its requirements for petrol to begin supplies of both the products. If necessary, the company is contemplating to import petrol also, Verma said.
He said the company was also talking to banks and fast food outfits to set up ATMs and eating places alongside the retail outlets in the non-fuel segment. Bureau Report