Sandeep Singla, CEO of Valvoline Cummins, said India was a logical market for the products launch. The company will introduce the motor oil all over India in the course of the next year, and has already introduced it in the northern and southern ends of the country. India is one of the largest diesel engine oil markets, and also has a high proportion of older diesel vehicles running in adverse conditions in this country, Singla told Lube Report.

According to Valvoline Cummins, studies estimate that about 4 million older commercial vehicles of all kinds are running on Indias roads. Normally, motor vehicle authorities register a commercial truck for about 15 years and further renewal depends on the truck meeting the prevailing emission norms.

Commercial truck engines age much faster in India and start consuming oil top-up after 200,000 kilometers due to a number of factors like overloading, adulterated fuel, spurious spares and untrained drivers, Valvoline stated, explaining why truck engines on Indian roads are vulnerable.

Valvoline previously released MaxLife as a high-mileage engine oil in North America for passenger cars with more than 75,000 miles on the engine. The MaxLife Diesel launched in India differs in that it is designed for older truck engines that have already run 200,000 kilometers (about 125,000 miles). Commercial vehicles in India, particularly trucks, cross the 200,000 kilometer mark in about two to three years of use and average 15 years in age.

In India, the companys existing range includes API CF4/SAE 20W-40 for normally aspirated truck engines and SAE 40/CF-4 fortrucks that are more than 10 years old.

Singla said the companys Mumbai blending plant will handle production of MaxLife Diesel. The plant capacity is enough to take care of additional requirements as of now, he added. Valvoline Cummins does not disclose the blending plants capacity.

The MaxLife product will sell for a higher price than conventional SAE 20W-40 motor oils, according to Valvoline Cummins. We are promoting it by selling the concept and convincing the existing clientele about the beneficial features of the product, the company stated, noting that India is considered a price sensitive market in which the customer wants to know more about the premium priced product before adopting it. Once the basics are in place, volumes would definitely follow.

Valvoline Cummins India believes that India, as a huge commercial vehicle market, could be the ideal test market for the product. It is a globally well accepted product and will be rolled out in the markets suited to it, CEO Singla said.

The company may launch the product in other markets as well after assessing the need and the size of market available for this product. The product has also been available in the Australian market for passenger cars for quite some time. It is well accepted by consumers there, and a leader in its category, Singla stated.

According to Valvoline Cummins, the total Indian lubricants market is an estimated 1.5 million kiloliters in size. Other major players include Indian Oil Corp, Castrol BP and Shell.

Valvoline Cummins India Ltd. is a joint venture between Ashland Inc., USA and Cummins Sales & Services (India) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cummins India Ltd. Valvoline, which has joint ventures with Cummins in several countries, formed the India joint venture in 1998. Valvoline Cummins India stated it has about a 7.5 percent share of the Indian lube market and is eyeing the growing commercial vehicle market.

The company has more than 28,000 dealers spread across India. The product range includes automotive lubricants, transmission fluids, gear oils, hydraulic lubricants, automotive filters, specialty products, greases and cooling system products.