With a legacy of 120 years and a presence in more than 100 countries, Gulf Oil has been the forerunner in the lubrication space. Our laser-like focus on the construction and mining industries has resulted in our efforts to become the market leader. Our corporate culture is based on Mckinsey’s 7S framework, with an entrepreneurial mindset, a focus on our valued customers, and all of our strategies centerd on creating a mutually beneficial business environment.

In the last 15 years, Gulf Oil has strengthened its positioning as a “reliable partner” for all kinds of lubricant requirements in the construction and mining sectors. With our direct distribution approach and a strong network of warehouses, we currently serve 7500+ sites (including the remotest of places in the country)—the highest number for any lubricant brand. We have one of the largest workforces serving our customers and taking complete ownership of their businesses. Gradually, we have established ourselves as a single-point-complete solution provider for our customers.

Overview of market development and trends for lubricants

India is the world’s third-largest and fastest-growing lubricant market after the USA and China. The Indian lubricant market is expected to reach US$ 48.22 billion by 2027 at a 4.77 percent CAGR. We at Gulf Oil have also been keeping pace with market developments and technological advancements to offer the recommended lubricant products. We have always followed a unique and customised business model for the infrastructure and mining sectors. With a CAGR of 36 percent since the inception of our business (infrastructure and mining), we have been a forerunner and have always served this sector with our world-class and ever-evolving products. Road infrastructure development is the prime focus of our government, and we also carry the road sector as our business strength—our 18 percent market share is a testimony in itself.

Recent product launches emphasise sustainability and a better value proposition

We follow an application-based lubricant solution approach, enhancing and customising our product portfolio per the application’s specific requirements, working site environment, and equipment. Our world-class product R&D division ensures highly engineered product offerings representing the next generation of lubricants. With more than 5,500 lubricant formulations, we have a comprehensive range of products, from hydraulic and engine oil to speciality lubricants. Our oils and lubricants exceed the industry’s existing performance and emission norms, thereby increasing the life and reliability of capital-intensive construction and mining equipment.

We have always been ahead in gauging the working conditions and business environment and offering our products. Our hydraulic oil line helps extend the life of equipment, whether in a harsh mining application or when working in water (ZF, Zinc Free series); all of our hydraulic oils have good demulsibility. Gear oils are crafted to work in heavy-duty, high-load conditions with better wear resistance. In our Engine Oil series, we offer previous generation CI4+ and new generation CK4, all with extended drain intervals and at par with existing emission norms. For greases, we offer heavy-duty mining greases and the generic EP series, which have good water-repellent properties and can sustain high temperatures. We have recently launched a range of wire-rope greases to improve the life of cranes and related equipment.

Keeping in line with sustainable development, we have launched AdBlue Ecopro, an environmentally friendly product for the construction and mining industries. For AdBlue manufacturing, we have approved the VDA licence issued by the German Association of the Automotive Industry – Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA). Looking forward to the upcoming requirements of AdBlue, we have also started the Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) facility to streamline our supplies.

Our e-mobility efforts are reflected in our partnerships with Indra Renewable, a smart charging solution company, and Electreefi, a SaaS-based e-mobility solution. We have also launched a range of EV fluids to cater to the upcoming requirements of electric vehicles.

New business initiatives: tunnel boring machines

With infrastructure development as the prime focus of our government, we have seen a lot of technological advancements in this field. Introducing Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) in the Indian construction sector was a major advancement. We foresaw the upcoming population of TBMs being deployed in India and put our focus on working with the top TBM manufacturers. Our range of heavy-duty products, especially hydraulic oil, gear oil, and greases, perfectly complement the TBMs’ high-load working conditions. Keeping this in mind, we took a step further to develop high-viscosity premium hydraulic oil, especially and exclusively for TBM operations.

We are one of the major lubricant suppliers to The Robbins Company, a leading TBM manufacturer, for their India operations. This association and our range of lubricants specially developed for TBMs have enabled us to fulfil the lubricant requirements of the entire TBM industry in India.

Customer support

The human factor is at the core of our marketing initiatives, whether our customers or employees. As a team, we have always focused on the needs of our customers. Over time, we have built a very distinct connection with our customers. It is not a “one size fits all’ kind of approach. And it has been a very consistent approach. What we are seeing as a marked difference now in our market share is because of this approach.

We take pride in saying that we are serving the “who’s who” of the infrastructure and mining segments and contributing towards nation-building. Our core strengths—customer service and last-mile operations—continue to enhance our capabilities in this direction.

Business model

Infrastructure: With the largest team of business managers catering to the requirements of our esteemed clientele, our infrastructure business has progressed to serve the who’s who of the industry, covering almost all of the sectors: roads, railways, metro, bridges, tunnels, crushers, etc.

Port: With a coastline of 7500+ km, the Indian port sector contributes majorly towards the country’s trade logistics, and we have ensured to be the prime business supporter for this sector. With all of the major port operators and logistics suppliers in our customer portfolio, the port business is a shining feather in our cap.

Mining: We have become a prime lubricant partner for the major mining operators in India—MDOs and OB removal contractors—understanding their business environment and the criticality of product supply at various mining sites.

OEMs: To further our efforts in becoming a part of India’s development journey, we have partnered with some of the OEMs in India (and abroad) and have become their prime lubricant supplier for their factory operations as well as for their after-market needs. Through our esteemed OEM associations, we have developed application-based lubricant products for all the major equipment categories: Doosan Bobcat (backhoe loaders), Liugong (excavators), Putzmeister (concrete pumps), L&T (wheel loaders), Robbins (tunnel boring machines), and MAIT (piling rigs).

Manufacturing facility in Chennai

Our Chennai manufacturing plant is the newest addition to our global manufacturing capabilities and a testament to technology, sustainability, and sophistication. The plant has been ISO 9001:2015 certified since day one and boasts India’s first customer experience center.

The following are some of the highlights:

Global R&D Center—the Gulf’s biggest facility globally. AdBlue manufacturing capacity of 18,000 KL with QMC Germany’s VDA licence.

Simultaneous Metered Blender (SMB), Automated Batch Blender (ABB), completely pluggable manifold, Drum Decanting Unit (DDU), advanced Automatic Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS).

IGBC Gold Certification: Environment-friendly Design with 100 percent Provision for Solar Power, Rain-Water Harvesting, and Natural Lighting.

Other key certifications include ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, and ISO 45001:2018.

For more details visit: https://www.gulfoilindia.com/