1928 — Asiatic Petroleum (India) joined hands with Burmah Oil Company and formed the Burmah-Shell Oil Storage and Distributing Company of India Ltd.
1952 — Burmah Shell Refineries Ltd was incorporated as a private limited company under the Indian Companies Act.
1992 — In January/ February, the government divested 20 per cent of BPCL’s equity shares to financial institutions, mutual funds and banks, followed by another 5 per cent in October and a further 5 per cent in December.
1993 — BPCL entered into its first joint venture with Shell Overseas Investments BV of Holland to form Bharat Shell Ltd, to market Shell lubricants and LPG.
1993 — BPCL signed a JV with Oman Oil Co to launch Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd for setting up a 6-MMTPA refinery in Bina, Madhya Pradesh.
1994 — Government of India divested 3.8 per cent of BPCL’s equity shares to employees.
1995 — BPCL was declared a ‘Schedule A’ company.
2001 — BPCL acquired the government’s holding (55.04 per cent) in Kochi Refineries Ltd. KRL has a 7.5-MMT refinery.
2003 — The government attempted to privatise BPCL. But following a petition, the Supreme Court restrained it without Parliament approval.
2006 — Formal merger of KRL, the erstwhile subsidiary company, with BPCL.
2006 — A wholly-owned subsidiary company, Bharat PetroResources Ltd (BPRL), formed with an authorised capital of ₹1,000 crore for carrying out exploration- and production-related activities.
2017 — BPCL received Maharatna status.
2019 — On November 21, the government approved privatisation of BPCL.
2020 — The government invited bids for the sale of its 52.98 per cent stake in the company.
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