Raaj Unocal Lubricants Ltd. (RULL), the flagship company of the Rajgarhia Group of Enterprises having diversified interests in petroleum, pharmaceuticals, steel, abrasives, automobiles, paper, finance & leasing and warehousing, is betting big on its new range of products & systems covering synthetic oil, LUBISTRANDS technology and Lubiglow/Oil-Detac which were unveiled at Auto Expo 2016.
By launching its next-generation lubricants primarily for the aftermarket, RULL aims to reduce the cost on a per litre basis by not only offering a better product with synthetic content but also reducing the running cost per km by doubling the drain interval. The company will be marketing its products under the brand name of ‘Unocal’ and will be catering to multiple segments of the automotive industry such as CV, PV, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and even tractors and OTRs.
In an exclusive interaction with MOTORINDIA, Mr. Madhav Rajgarhia, Director & CEO, Raaj Unocal Lubricants Ltd., stated: “In line with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ programme, we are one of the first few companies that obtained an industrial licence for blending of lubricants in the private sector in India. To make further progress, we have rolled out a series of super synthetic range known as Super Synth Series which is BS-V compliant. They cover all viscometrics from 0W40 to 10W40 which are both fully synthetic and part synthetic. The highlight of the products is that they are customised for dual-fuel applications. So the same oil will be used for both compressions as spark engines or, in a layman’s term, it is for both petrol and diesel engines.”
Established in 1990, RULL was one of the first private players in the domestic lubricant industry set up under a technical collaboration with the Union Oil Company of California (USA), a Fortune-500 company at that time. Its manufacturing facility in the Faridabad Industrial Area is spread over 10 acres. The plant has a blending capacity of over 144,000 per shift per annum. The company has rich experience in blending for premium MNC brands such as SERVO of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Commenting on its new product lines, Mr. Rajgarhia said the company has introduced 10W 60 Rally Racing fluid for the rally racing fraternity as well as a locally made 75W 90 fully- synthetic geared oil for 4X4 applications in high-end cars. “We have also launched a CJ 4 Euro 5 compliant for the CV segment. It will be serving the needs of new generation of HCVs like Mahindra Trucks and Buses and will be equipped with Oil-Detac and the Lubistrands technology which will assist vehicle owners and service providers to provide good service of the vehicle. Having said that, it will be complementing our existing line-up of CI4+ lubes (BS-III specific) which we are already selling in the market.”
Talking about its expectations from the CV industry, he observed: “In this industry, we have noticed that the OEMs have given an extended warranty to their products. The en route breakdown of trucks is a major concern in our country. The vehicles cannot be lifted on a two-post equipment during such instances. During its usage, the under-body is totally exposed and there is a lot of wear and tear that is happening. To address this issue, we have developed two kinds of technologies such as ‘Lubistrands’ and ‘Oil Detac’ which are addressing the concerns of the CV industry especially in the servicing aspects. And I think when we go with these products to the OEMs; they will lap it up without giving it a second thought. Furthermore, they will assist vehicle owners and service providers to provide good service of the vehicle.”
Shedding further light on the CJ4 lubricants for Euro-V applications which will be utilized by all next-generation HCVs like Mahindra Trucks and Buses, Bharat Benz, etc., Mr. Rajgarhia affirmed: “Our CV-centric oil is equipped with high temp high share (HTHS) properties. In India as the vehicles are exorbitantly overloaded, there is an extrinsic pressure on the gearbox and the engine. So there is high fuel consumption and low mileage. So, in order to control that excessive heating, we have fortified it with certain viscosity improvers like HTHS properties which will enhance mileage by conserving fuel. So we are working on the ground level issues which the industry is facing in the country.”
RULL is already exporting its products to China and is now exploring other markets like Indonesia and Bangladesh.