Queues at petrol pumps in New Delhi may soon be a thing of the past as Indian Oil announces plans for pre-booked slots and cash and card free payments. Indian Oil Corporation, which accounts for nearly half of all filling stations in the country, is planning to offer customers these conveniences shortly.
The state-run company is building a technology platform that will help ease congestion at filling stations, cut waiting time and raise service level for customers, BS Canth, director of marketing said.
This comes at a time when Indian Oil Corporation, the nation's largest refiner and fuel retailer, is in the midst of defending its market share as private players such as Reliance Industries and Essar Oil expand.
As per the plan, customers will be able to book a slot on their way to a filling station so that they don't have to wait in a long queue. The filling stations will display slot vacancies, guiding customers to the right nozzle. Vehicles will be given radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for automatic identification and payment, Canth said.
The company plans to run a pilot on these initiatives in six-eight months and some other fuel retailers, has already tied up with mobile wallet providers, making payments easier.
"This is going to be a second revolution in retail," said Canth, referring to the ever-increasing role of technology in raising the service level and standardising operation. These services are being planned because the "customers have come to expect these things now", he added.
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