Valvoline Cummins Ltd (VCL), a joint venture between Ashland Inc. and Cummins India, has opened its R&D and Product Development lab as well as a training facility, at its Ambernath plant, close to Mumbai. The new facility is integrated with the Valvoline Global R&D facility at Lexington, Kentucky, USA. This facility will undertake R&D for futuristic products and technologies.

All three facilities were inaugurated by Dr. Frances E. Lockwood, senior vice-president and global chief technology officer, Ashland Consumer markets.

Sandeep Kalia, CEO, Valvoline Cummins, said, “We believe in serving our customers and stakeholders with the best of our products and services, and in doing so, investing in facilities is just another step towards achieving this belief. The Lube Training Center will provide quality training on engines, transmissions, cooling systems, besides lubricants, to our channel partners and customers.”

Last year, Valvoline inaugurated its own fully integrated toll blending facility at Ambernath (near Mumbai) in Maharashtra and produces the Valvoline brand of lubricants for the consumer, industrial and heavy-duty markets.