With the introduction of highly sophisticated commercial vehicle models in the country in the last couple of years, ExxonMobil, the lubricant giant and the No.1 in the list of Fortune 500, is planning a greater focus to the diesel segment of commercial vehicles.
Disclosing this to MOTORINDIA, Mr. Raymond Wong, Chief Executive Officer, ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Ltd., said since ExxonMobil products are known for their high quality worldwide, demand for them in India is growing faster than hitherto.
In terms of overall oil industry output, India has now become the fifth largest player in the world and is expected to overtake Russia soon. Also Indian customers have generally become more quality conscious, with their paying special attention to durability and fuel economy. All this is being readily addressed by ExxonMobil.
Since the company has registered a higher growth in sales in India in the past two years, ExxonMobil has taken India as a major market to reckon with in its overall business strategy. Currently the company is importing raw material from its world class refineries in Singapore in order to maintain quality and reliability, Mr. Wong added.
According to Mr. Anirvan Roy, General Manager – Automotive Sales, ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Ltd., with advanced lubricants technology and brand loyalty, ExxonMobil has been registering a sustained growth in India. It has its ongoing relationship with off-highway vehicles manufacturers such as Caterpillar and Volvo. Apart from being a major supplier of lubricants to passenger car manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, etc., it is also an OE supplier to Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks and is closely working with Tata Motors Commercial Vehicle Division with its development of advanced grade synthetic lubricants for gear and transmission applications.
In the aftermarket, the company supplies its diesel lubricants to leading OEMs such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and VECV. In terms of technology and quality, the company is far ahead of its rivals. For instance, its world renowned brand Mobil 1 is still the most advanced technology product meeting multiple requirements.
Referring to its aftermarket sales, Mr. Roy pointed out that currently ExxonMobil has over 50 dedicated distributors all over India with whom it has greater rapport since many years. The overall success of the company has also been attributed to the performance of some of its distributors who have achieved a six-fold increase in sales in a short span. Now the company is planning to sharpen its focus on the North-Eastern region where it has not been active so far.