Beyond the List: India’s 23 Refineries & the 450 MMTPA Question.

How Many Refineries Does India Really Have in 2025?

And What Does 258.1 MMTPA Tell Us About Our 450 MMTPA Ambition?

If you search “List of oil refineries in India” you’ll usually get a neat table, a few capacities, and a count:

23 operational refineries 258.1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of installed capacity

End of story, right?

Not even close.

Behind that single number sits 120+ years of history, a sharp public vs private shift, and a very real question:

Can India move from 258.1 MMTPA to 450 MMTPA and still stay serious about Net Zero and cleaner energy?

This article is my attempt to unpack the past, present and future of India’s refining system, beyond just a list.

India’s oil refining sector today runs on 23 operational refineries (2025), with a combined nameplate capacity of 258.1 million metric tones per annum (MMTPA). That makes India the second-largest refiner in Asia and the fourth-largest globally. [1]

Spread across 15 states, these refineries process primarily imported crude oil into diesel, gasoline, aviation turbine fuel, LPG and petrochemical feedstocks. Together, they meet almost all of India’s domestic fuel demand – and still leave enough surplus to power a strong export position. [2]

The sector is still anchored by public sector undertakings (PSUs): [3] [4] [5] [6]

• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) – 9 refineries, ~81 MMTPA
• Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) – 3 refineries, ~35 MMTPA
• Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) – 3 refineries, ~28 MMTPA

On the other side, private and JV players provide the scale and complexity edge:

• Reliance Industries – the world’s largest single-site refinery complex at Jamnagar, Gujarat (>68 MMTPA)
• Nayara Energy – Vadinar refinery, 20 MMTPA
• HPCL–Mittal Energy (HMEL) – Bathinda, 11 MMTPA

Since April 2014, India’s refining capacity has grown from about 215 MMTPA to 258.1 MMTPA – roughly a 20% increase – driven by modernization, debottlenecking, and a shift toward higher-value petrochemical products. Growth has slowed in recent years as environmental, economic and Net Zero considerations reshape investment decisions, but the direction of travel is clear.

With ongoing brownfield expansions and new builds like the Barmer (Rajasthan) refinery, India is now aiming for ~310 MMTPA by 2028, in line with a projected 3–4% annual growth in fuel and petrochemical demand.

1️⃣ 2025 Snapshot: 23 Refineries, 258.1 MMTPA, One Refining Powerhouse

As of 2025, India’s oil refining sector looks like this:

• Total operational refineries: 23
• Installed refining capacity: 258.1 MMTPA (~5.2 million barrels per day)
• Global position:

These refineries, spread across 15 states, do three critical jobs:

1. Meet almost all domestic fuel demand – diesel, petrol, ATF, LPG
2. Feed petrochemical chains – polypropylene, aromatics, and other feedstocks
3. Power exports – petroleum products contribute tens of billions of dollars in export earnings every year

So when we talk about a “list of oil refineries in India”, we’re really talking about the backbone of India’s energy security and export strategy.

2️⃣ How We Got Here: From Digboi to Jamnagar

Phase 1: Colonial beginnings (1880s–1950s)

• The story starts in Assam’s Digboi, where oil was discovered in the 1880s.
• Digboi Refinery, commissioned in 1901, is Asia’s first refinery and one of the oldest still operating.
• In the early 1950s, India’s total refining capacity was about 2.6 MMTPA, mainly from:

Most fuels were still imported as finished products. The refining system was built more for colonial export logic than Indian demand.

Phase 2: Nation-building & PSU era (1950s–1990s)

After Independence, the goal shifted to energy security:

• ONGC was founded in 1956 for exploration and production.
• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was formed in 1959, merging Indian Oil Company and Indian Refineries.

The 1960s–80s saw a new wave of PSU refineries:

• Barauni (Bihar) – 1964
• Koyali/Gujarat Refinery – 1965
• Haldia (West Bengal) – 1975
• Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) – 1982

By the time of the 1973 oil crisis, India recognized that refining capacity = strategic resilience. Refineries became instruments of national policy, not just industrial plants.

🔹 Phase 3: Liberalization & mega complexes (1990s–2010s)

The 1990s changed the game:

• Economic liberalization ended the PSU monopoly.
• Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery came online in 1999 with 27 MMTPA capacity — and has since grown into the world’s largest single-site refinery complex (>68 MMTPA).
• Vadinar (Nayara Energy) added another high-complexity, export-oriented refinery on the Gujarat coast.

In a few decades, India jumped from 2.6 MMTPA (1950) to over 250 MMTPA (2020s) — transforming from import-dependent to a global refining hub.

3️⃣ Who Runs What: PSU vs Private vs JV

Behind the 23 refineries, there is a very specific ownership mix:

Public Sector Refineries – ~158.6 MMTPA

Run by:

• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) – 9 refineries, ~70.25 MMTPA
• Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) – 3 refineries, ~35.3 MMTPA
• Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) – 2 refineries, ~24.5 MMTPA
• CPCL, MRPL, NRL – adding the rest, bringing PSUs to ~158.6 MMTPA

Flagship PSU sites include:

• Panipat (Haryana) – 15 MMTPA
• Paradip (Odisha) – 15 MMTPA
• Kochi (Kerala) – 15.5 MMTPA
• Mathura, Haldia, Barauni, Koyali, Vizag, Manali, Mangalore, and the heritage Digboi refinery

These refineries are the workhorses of domestic supply, designed first for national energy needs, then for exports.

Private & Joint Venture Refineries – ~99.5 MMTPA

Here’s where the high complexity and export muscle comes in:

• Jamnagar DTA (Reliance) – 33 MMTPA
• Jamnagar SEZ (Reliance) – 35.2 MMTPA
• Vadinar (Nayara Energy) – 20 MMTPA
• Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, Bathinda (HMEL) – 11.3 MMTPA (JV: HPCL + Mittal)

These refineries:

• Handle heavy and sour crudes
• Run with high Nelson Complexity Index (NCI)
• Are tightly integrated with petrochems and exports

Together, private + JV make up nearly 39% of total capacity, but a much larger share of export-oriented, high-value products.

The following table lists the major operating private and joint venture refineries, detailing their capacities, ownership, commissioning years, and key specialties

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4️⃣ Where Are These Refineries? India’s Refining Map in One Glance

One of the most interesting insights isn’t just who owns the refineries, but where they sit.

Refining Capacity by Region (approx.)

• West India (Gujarat + Maharashtra) – 123.4 MMTPA
• South India (AP, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka) – 56 MMTPA
• North India (Haryana, UP, MP, Punjab) – 42.1 MMTPA
• East & North-East (Assam, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal) – 36.6 MMTPA

Two big patterns stand out:

1. Gujarat alone holds ~39.5% of India’s refining capacity (101.9 MMTPA) – mainly Jamnagar, Vadinar and Koyali.
2. Coastal states host ~78% of total capacity – because crude comes by sea, and products move out to both domestic and export markets.

So yes, you can make a list of refineries in India — but the real story is the coastal arc from Jamnagar–Vadinar in the west to Vizag–Paradip–Haldia in the east, stitched together by over 10,000 km of pipelines.

5️⃣ From 215 to 258.1 MMTPA: Slow Growth, Higher Sophistication

Since April 2014, India’s refining capacity has grown from ~215 MMTPA to 258.1 MMTPA — about a 20% increase.

What’s more interesting than the volume is how that growth happened:

• BS-VI fuel upgrades completed nationwide by 2020
• Secondary units (hydrocrackers, residue upgraders, desulphurization units) added across refineries
• Strong integration with petrochemicals at sites like Kochi, Panipat, Jamnagar, Bathinda

The average Nelson Complexity Index of Indian refineries is now around 10–11, signaling moderate-to-high sophistication and the ability to process heavier, cheaper crudes.

In short:

The last decade was less about “more refineries” and more about “smarter, cleaner, more complex refineries”.

6️⃣ What’s Coming: Barmer, Ramayapatnam & a Wave of Expansions

To go from 258.1 MMTPA to roughly 310 MMTPA by 2028 and eventually 450 MMTPA, India is betting on two levers:

1. New greenfield refineries [7]

Some of the headline projects:

• HPCL Rajasthan Refinery (Pachpadra, Barmer)
• BPCL–OIL refinery near Ramayapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh
• ONGC’s proposed greenfield refinery near Jamnagar, Gujarat

Collectively, greenfield projects could add 50+ MMTPA if they stay on track.

2. Brownfield expansions at existing refineries

Key expansion projects include:

• Panipat (IOC) – 15 → 25 MMTPA
• Gujarat/Koyali (IOC) – 13.7 → 18 MMTPA
• Barauni (IOC) – 6 → 9 MMTPA
• Vizag (HPCL) – 15 → 18 MMTPA
• Bina (BPCL) – 7.8 → 11 MMTPA
• CPCL Manali, Numaligarh, Kochi, Mathura, Haldia, Mumbai – all undergoing staged upgrades or expansions

These are not just capacity additions – they embed:

• BS-VI & cleaner fuel units
• Residue upgradation
• Green hydrogen pilots
• Higher petchem integration

Together, these expansions aim to push India to around 310 MMTPA by 2030, with a longer-term stretch ambition toward 450 MMTPA.

7️⃣ 258 → 450 MMTPA in a Net Zero World: The Real Question

On one side, we have:

• 3–4% annual demand growth in fuels and petrochemicals
• Rising aviation use, freight needs and petrochem demand
• Refinery closures in Europe & parts of Asia creating a gap India can fill

On the other side, we have:

• India’s Net Zero 2070 pledge
• Global pressure on carbon intensity
• Stricter regulations on embedded emissions in exports

So the real question isn’t just:

“Can India build enough refineries to reach 450 MMTPA?”

It’s:

“Can India build future-ready refineries, that co-process biofuels, cut emissions, integrate petrochemicals and leverage digital intelligence, while still staying competitive and aligned with Net Zero? ”

Do you think India should push to 450 MMTPA, or pivot harder toward green fuels and digital refining instead?

8️⃣ Why This Matters Now

If you work in:

• Refinery operations or maintenance
• EPC & projects for brownfield and greenfield sites
• Digitalization, CBM, energy management, or decarbonization
• Petrochemicals and downstream manufacturing

…then the “list of refineries in India” is no longer just a static directory.

It’s your opportunity map for the next decade.

Because India’s 23 refineries and 258.1 MMTPA today are:

• Not the end state
• But the launchpad for how India refines, exports, and decarbonizes energy in the 2030s and 2040s.

Happy Reading!

More Reads :

• Digboi Refinery : Asia's Oldest Refinery
• How ONGC Built India’s Rig Frontier

References :

1. https://ppac.gov.in/infrastructure/location-of-refineries
2. https://iocl.com/uploads/IOCL_Investor_Presentation_2025.pdf
3. https://www.bharatpetroleum.in/images/files/investor-presentation-q2-2025-26.pdf
4. https://www.hindustanpetroleum.com/documents/pdf/Investor_Presentation_Q1_FY_2025-26.pdf
5. https://www.eia.gov/international/content/analysis/countries_long/India/pdf/India.pdf
6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/from-big-plans-to-bottlenecks-refining-expansion-falters-capacity-up-just-5-import-dependence-grows/articleshow/122504285.cms
7. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250204725854/en/India-Oil-Refining-Industry-Report-2025-Data-on-Planned-Refineries-such-as-Planned-Capacity-Equity-Structure-Operator-Company-Expected-Commissioning-Date-and-Project-Cost---ResearchAndMarkets.com
8. https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/crude-oil/010725-indias-refining-capacity-to-expand-20-by-2028-on-robust-run-rates-demand-growth
9. https://www.orfonline.org/research/oil-gas-in-india-the-milestones-1825-2012
10. https://www.iocl.com/Uploads/annual/AnnuaReport_2004_05.pdf
11. https://www.fipi.org.in/assets/pdf/journel-previous/2018/Jan-Mar18.pdf
12. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2183499
13. https://www.ibef.org/industry/oil-gas-india