Indian Oil ad says fuel voucher "perfect gift" for weddings. How Twitter reacted

Indian Oil has released fuel voucher promotional messages for weddings, Diwali and Dhanteras. (Image credit: Photo tweeted by @IndianOilcl)

Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOC), the country's top refiner, recently came out with a scheme where people can “gift” fuel vouchers to their loved ones on special occasions.

“Make the new beginnings of your loved ones much more special. A perfect gift to celebrate weddings, get the IndianOil's One4U e-Fuel Voucher today and shower them with your love & blessings,” Indian Oil tweeted on Saturday.

The fuel retailer had put our similar promotional messages for Diwali and Dhanteras too. The minimum amount for a gift voucher is Rs. 500 and the maximum amount is Rs. 10,000.

Make the new beginnings of your loved ones much more special. A perfect gift to celebrate weddings, get the IndianOil's One4U e-Fuel Voucher today and shower them with your love & blessings.

To gift e-Fuel Voucher visit: https://t.co/9OKVtW6vLH#IndianOilRhino pic.twitter.com/6hxQpyeT9j

— Indian Oil Corp Ltd (@IndianOilcl) November 27, 2021

The ads received mixed reactions from social media at a time when people are battered by record-high petrol and diesel prices.

Hitting out at the government, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale tweeted, “This is NOT a spoof. Indian Oil is actually running adverts selling “fuel vouchers” as the perfect wedding gift. Basically gift petrol & diesel to people getting married. Modi govt has cruelly found a marketing angle with sky-rocketing fuel prices instead of controlling them (sic).”

This is NOT a spoof.

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Indian Oil is actually running adverts selling “fuel vouchers” as the perfect wedding gift. Basically gift petrol & diesel to people getting married.

Modi govt has cruelly found a marketing angle with sky-rocketing fuel prices instead of controlling them. pic.twitter.com/raEKnydVdM

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) November 28, 2021

“Waiting for National Horticulture Board to come up with Tomato Gift Vouchers. Then I would have seen all,” Yanger Longkumer of the Congress tweeted.

Indian Oil is selling Fuel Gift Vouchers.

Waiting for National Horticulture Board to come up with Tomato Gift Vouchers.
Then I would have seen all.

— Yanger Longkumer (@YangerINC) November 28, 2021

If you want to girt something costly at your fiends #Wedding

Chose to gift #Petrol or #Diesel through Indian Oil E-voucher. They will remember you everything they fill the petrol https://t.co/GIccFPmwa6

— Dhamaka Investor (@DealsDhamaka) November 25, 2021

Indian Oil being hilarious and on point. This dhanteras buy some fuel vouchers, basically the same price as gold. https://t.co/Jeng6D0b1z

— Vanicka Arora (@VanickaA) November 2, 2021

The government cut excise duty on petrol by Rs. 5 per litre and that on diesel by Rs. 10 a litre on November 3 to give some relief to consumers.

Among those who thought the gifting scheme is a good idea was Twitter user Sanketh D Hegde. The card is just a product by Indian oil. And it's a meaningful product. I think fuel cards are there for a while now and is not a new thing. I would gladly like a gift like fuel card. You gift fuel means you are gifting a travel or trip! That's great and that's good marketing,” he wrote on the social media platform.

The state-owned company said on its website, “Fuel always serves as a handy gift for every occasion and every relation. One4U e-Fuel voucher from IndianOil is a convenient, secure and versatile gifting option to say that you care. By gifting One4U, You are choosing right, you are choosing smart.”

The daily revisions in retail prices of petrol and diesel are carried out by oil marketing companies based on 15-day moving average prices in the international market. Accordingly, the impact on international oil prices from the announcement by OPEC+ and developments on the new COVID variant will decide the near-term course of fuel prices in the country, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.