Gulf's range of products

MI: In terms of products, which are the ones that are driving growth?

RC: Long-drain lubricants are our strength, a large part of R&D and product development of which is based out of India, with our main facility in Silvassa. We work closely with the additive companies and OEMs to bring in products which provide better service to the customers, be it 80,000 kms to the Ashok Leyland co-branded product or the one called Gulf Super Diesel X-10 for Mahindra. The Mahindra X-10 product is specifically developed for SUVs and other lighter vehicles, which have a drain interval of 10,000 kms. In the motorcycles segment, we have our own product called the Gulf Pride 4T Plus, which offers a drain interval of 10,000 kms, more than double of what others offer.

MI: We find rapid upgradation in technology in the Indian commercial vehicle segment. How does Gulf Oil keep pace with the technology change?

RC: Gulf Oil is well-known as a global brand and is available in more than 100 countries. Our technical team works very closely with the additive manufacturers and globally, we have been working successfully with leading global OEMs. In India, the fuel and operating conditions pose great challenges, so we work with the local OEMs to develop customised products. In India, we have reached Euro IV (BS IV) emission levels whereas Europe is already at Euro VI.

MI: As a lubricant company, what role does Gulf Oil have in bridging the gap?

RC: Firstly, we already have the lubricants in our range to meet global standards. In addition, for the buses which are going into BS IV standard in the 13 major cities in India, there are two types of technology – EGR and SCR. We have already introduced the Gulf AdBlue4you which basically uses SCR technology. We have tied up with a company in Europe called Green Chem and have started marketing AdBlue4you in India. AdBlue makes use of an Aqueous Urea Solution (AUS-32) which is filled into a separate tank in the truck. The solution treats the exhaust in order to meet the required emission standards. This product of ours is environment-friendly and has been made available in India, in different sizes specific to the bus segment.

MI: How do you think India as a country can go about with the migration of the huge number of vehicles from BS IV to higher standards?

RC: I second the legislation. Abroad, if a vehicle does not comply with the specifications, then it is taxed. In such cases in India, we either need to increase the toll tax or simply not allow the vehicle to ply. But it will take sometime for all this to happen. Now with the entry of next generation of trucks and with manufacturers adopting various technologies, I think it would take about three to four years to catch up. For now, the plan is to expand BS IV to more cities and I'm sure it will happen because eventually we need to move to those levels. The main things to note is that there are also cost implications associated with it. Once the economy takes off again, it will be a good time to bring in the norms across India.