Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is an Indian oil and gas company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is one of the major integrated downstream petroleum companies in India, engaged in the refining of crude oil and the marketing of petroleum products. HPCL is a subsidiary of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), which acquired the Government of India's majority stake in 2018, although the company continues to operate as a separate listed entity.
| Name | Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited |
|---|---|
| Common abbreviation | HPCL |
| Industry | Oil and gas (downstream petroleum) |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Country | India |
| Parent organisation | Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) |
| Stock listings | BSE, NSE |
| Type | Public sector undertaking (subsidiary of ONGC) |
HPCL traces its origins to the nationalisation of foreign oil companies operating in India in the 1970s. The company was formed through the merger of erstwhile Esso and Caltex operations in India, which were taken over by the Government of India and consolidated into a single national oil marketing and refining entity. HPCL has since grown to operate refineries, an extensive network of fuel retail outlets, LPG distribution facilities, lubricant brands, and pipelines connecting refineries to consumption hubs.
HPCL operates refineries on both the western and southern coasts of India, including a refinery in Mumbai and another at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It also has joint-venture refining interests, including HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL), which operates the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery at Bathinda in Punjab.
The company markets petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (under the HP Gas brand), lubricants (under the HP Lubricants brand, including Racer and Milcy product lines), bitumen, and other petroleum products. It maintains a nationwide network of retail fuel stations, LPG bottling plants, and aviation service stations.
HPCL operates a network of cross-country product pipelines that move refined products from refineries and import terminals to inland depots, supporting its retail and bulk distribution operations.
HPCL is one of the principal players in India's downstream petroleum sector, alongside Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum. It contributes to national energy security through its refining throughput, fuel retailing footprint, and LPG distribution, and plays a role in implementing government programmes related to subsidised cooking fuel, ethanol blending, and rural fuel access.