Castrol shifts global 2-wheeler R&D base to India to draw OEMs

Castrol Plc has decided to shift its global R&D base for two-wheeler lubes from Pangbourne in the UK to India. The main reason for this is because the company wants to be closer to two-wheeler manufacturers here and where it sees opportunities to work in one of the largest motorcycle markets worldwide.

By locating to India, Castrol will also be closer to its other important Asean countries including Thailand and Indonesia which are its biggest markets globally. India has a 24 percent marketshare of the two-wheeler products, and is Castrol’s biggest market for motorcycle lubricants.

Castrol is keen to work with OEMs on new engines and also develop lubricants for their existing engines. It is also looking for new partnerships in India. The company has also established an emissions and development team here and brought in a product development manager from its UK unit who will stationed here in India for two to three years in order to develop the expertise that is required.

Castrol recently built the Castrol China Technology Center in Shanghai where it is working with car manufacturers because they constitute its biggest market there. The company works closely with Chinese OEMs as well as international OEMs that have moved their R&D to China.

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INTERVIEW WITH HOWIE SILVER, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR, ASIA & PACIFIC



What are the challenges you will face in India?

The challenge is to be able to do all our testing in India and this will be complemented by our international test pad at Pangbourne in the UK. We will develop products here, test them locally and send the product formulations back to Pangbourne for them to test at some of the bespoke testing facilities that we have.

So rather than shifting the entire testing facilities, will some be duplicated?

We will try not to duplicate things here and so have shifted all the ‘brains’ if you like, here. All the development brains are here now.

At Pangbourne, we still have some hardware tests. We’ve got motorcycles on test beds and large 30-cell test house. We’re also developing capabilities in the test houses at New Delhi and Pune and working with them to test products locally.

With the kind of two-wheeler global production over here, you will be able to react to market faster, won't you?

We wanted to be at the right location and also to be close to where the biggest growth in motorcycles is taking place. Changes in technology are taking place in India and we wish to be here right at the beginning where the engines are being developed, to be able to develop bespoke products and to work alongside Indians in markets with the different conditions as far as fuels, climatic conditions, driving cycles and humidity go, all of which bring a distinct challenge to the lubricant.

We are with our partners. We call it co-engineering and it begins at the start of the engine work where new materials are used or different methods deployed in reducing emissions, fuel consumption and reducing friction.

HORMAZD SORABJEE