Good response for PCMO and MCO launched in 2016
GP Petroleums Ltd., part of the $3 billion conglomerate Gulf Petrochem, headquartered in the UAE, has tied up with Spanish oil major Repsol to manufacture and market Repsol-branded lubricants in India.
An ISO 9001:14001 & OHSAS 18001 certified company, GP Petroleums specializes in designing, manufacturing and marketing industrial and automotive lubricants, process oils, transformer oils, greases and other specialties under the brand name IPOL in India and other overseas markets for more than four decades. It has a well-established network of distributors and dealers across the country.
In order to increase its business in the auto division and significantly increase its presence in the premium automotive market, the company has formed a strategic tie-up with Spanish oil major Repsol, to exclusively manufacture and market Repsol-branded, premium quality lubricants across India.
Headquartered in Madrid, Repsol is a global and integrated company, present along the entire value chain. With 27,000 employees across more than 40 countries, it operates in areas with the most energy potential around the world, and has one of the most efficient refining systems in Europe.
GP Petroleums had launched Repsol lubricants in India in April 2016 at a gala function in Mumbai, inaugurated by famous cricketer Suresh Raina, followed by a successive launch by renowned Bollywood actor Sonu Sood in Jaipur, thus unfolding a new chapter in the history of the Indian company’s operations.
The new partnership dedicated to the automotive lubricant market, began with the launch of a series of products in the Motor Cycle Oil (MCO) category, concentrating on India’s immensely-potential and highly-competitive two-wheeler space, which is the world’s largest market.
In a very short duration, the company has established Repsol MCO as a world-class premium product in the Indian market, backing it up by introducing its fully synthetic Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) ‘Repsol Elite NEO XTI 5W-40’ in the month of November 2016. A fully synthetic product known for its high performance levels, the PCMO delivers optimized performance with longer drain intervals, excellent soot dispersion, anti-wear, anti-corrosion properties and viscosity stability in extreme conditions.
Buoyed by the positive response for its MCO and PCMO, the company launched Repsol’s Diesel Engine oil at the beginning of this year in India. Mr. Orlando Carbo Conte, Global Director Lubricants, Repsol S.A., unveiled the first Repsol Turbo Plus 15-40 CI 4 Plus Diesel Engine Oil pack at an event in New Delhi. Suitable for all series of modern heavy duty diesel engines, Repsol Diesel Turbo Plus 15W40 – CI4 Plus brings a better lubrication to engines and provides excellent protection against wear, oxidation, deposit and sludge which leads to maximize the mechanical output.
With this launch, GP Petroleums is looking to cater to all product categories in the automotive lubes segment in India. Speaking at the launch event, Mr. Orlando Carbo Conte said: “We want to capitalize on the growth in the two-wheeler segment in India. From being not present in the Indian market till last year, we expect to grab a share of at least 5% in the automotive segment in the next 10 years.”
“We decided to partner with global majors and thus entered into a tie-up with Repsol. Our ambition is to be a significant player in the premium segment in India, which is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. In the past six months, we have doubled our sales and have lined up massive retail expansion plans. We are doubling our distributor network in the next six months”, said Mr. Hari Prakash M, CEO, GPPL, on the occasion.
The diesel engine oils segment is an extremely important one, contributing around 55 per cent of the total lubricants sales in India. To cater completely to this segment, Repsol Lubricants will introduce diesel engine oils in the 15-W40 CH 4 and 15-W40 CF 4 categories in the coming months. Driven by the new launches and its aggressive network expansion, GPPL, together with Repsol, looks forward to increasing its presence in the Indian automotive lubes market and supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative by manufacturing Repsol lubricants at its plants in India.
Repsol lubricants are developed at the company’s state-of-the-art global R&D center in Spain which caters to the newly-emerging premium- and top-end segments. These premium products are produced in India by GP Petroleums at its own manufacturing plants Vasai (Mumbai) and Daman, with modern testing facilities in accordance with stringent quality standards certified by Repsol S.A., Spain.