Unlocking Possibilities, Empowering Lives : BPCL in rural India

26 Nov 2022

Currently we have more than 20,000 Fuel Stations and a sizeable part of this is in rural India, where approximately 70% of Indian citizens live and earn. A population of almost half a billion contributes 46% of the national income and 25% – 30% of India's GDP. This is the India that has a huge role to play in the journey to becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025.

It is this India, undervalued and largely untapped because of logistical reasons that can change our future. Rapidly growing urbanisation and increased consumption are what define this rural and semi-urban Indian landscape.

As traditional agriculture transitions to agribusiness, new business models are evolving and creating opportunities for innovation and growth. Aadhaar and Aadhaar-enabled banking and payment systems have boosted rural financial inclusion. These developments have drawn multiple players to the rural-agricultural market to offer varied technology-based solutions.

What is missing is the engagement and trust of rural India with corporate India to make this transformation a collaborative one. Rural India is set in its ways of working and is resistant to change.
But this is the India where BPCL is at home, with all the essentials for business already in place. The network of over 20,000+ fuel stations and 6,200+ LPG distributors, with its physical presence, space, and equity, can open the doors to emerging Rural Retail Businesses to fuel India’s growth. This is where growth will be explosive, and its pace will be scorching.

This was the germ of a new business unit dubbed "New Businesses" at BPCL in 2022 to develop new non-fuel revenue sources. This concept of consumer retailing attempts to cater to the changing and growing needs of the rural population by bundling together fuel and non-fuel products with other necessities like insurance, financial products, and even telemedicine. A plan to use BPCL's extensive distribution network and address the needs of the rural Indian—from the provision of all necessities to the distribution of FMCG products, consumer electronics; from construction supplies to social welfare programs.

In March 2022, a pilot project was launched with 30 In & Out such stores with village level ecosystem of 300 professionally trained women entrepreneurs and aspires to build network comprising of 10,000 such outlets with One Lakh “Womenpreneurs” called Urja Devis.

Designed to address the fuel and non-fuel demands of customers, it explored the potential and scope of the rural market space. This would not only reach out to existing customers but also bring in people who have never engaged with BPCL earlier.

These brick-and-mortar convenience stores named ‘In and Out" are planned as a chain of stores across rural India. Combining the modernity of retail convenience with online transactions, these stores also encourage women's empowerment. They aim to transform rural housewives into entrepreneurs by providing them with training, financing, and other resources to open retail stores in their localities.
These new rural businesswomen also called "Urja Devis," would become the poster girls of BPCL's rural drive. These BPCL mascots would also personify the core ideals and principles of self-reliance and entrepreneurship. A win-win relationship at all levels. The first is where BPCL flourishes with a firm hold on the rural network along with job opportunities for local women and financial empowerment. And the second is where BPCL and its channel partners benefit financially from the largely untapped rural consumer. BPCL will be one of the first companies to serve customers in these hard-to-reach rural areas through this organised retail ecosystem.

By modifying and also codifying its retail strategy for the urban and highway sectors, Bharat Petroleum is changing its retail station units into "Energy Stations." These comprehensive models include food, consumer retailing, pharmacies, entertainment, and more, in addition to different fuel and energy solutions. A commercial establishment that provides a range of food, consumer shopping, entertainment, and other services in addition to fuel and energy to even the remotest corners of the country.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s model of "Energy Stations" with its network of Urja Devis to power "consumer rural retailing" stays true to the company philosophy of "unlocking possibilities, empowering lives."
This effort to accelerate the growth of Indian rural commerce and empower women is a silent revolution in the making.
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Author
Saurabh Jain, Chief Manager (PR & Brand)

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Unlocking Possibilities, Empowering Lives : BPCL in rural India

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