We have made significant investments in India in past years with our partners.

Anupam Amar

Assistant Vice-President, Technical Services of Lubricants, Total Oil India

What are the current technology trends that manufacturers are adopting for improving equipment efficiency, fuel economy and reduce downtime?

Lubricants are technology-driven products. Equipment technologies, OEM requirements, environmental norms, chemical regulations, etc. drive the lubricants development. The lubricants manufacturers need to continuously upgrade their product ranges as per technological evolution.

Currently, we see a significant shift in the Indian market from mineral to synthetic-based products. The lubricants industry is gradually moving towards low viscosity grades for lower energy consumption or fuel economy. There is a sharp rise in the demand for products with higher performance specifications, for example, API CI-4 Plus, API CJ-4, or latest API CK-4, etc. BS-VI compatible product range is being introduced in the market. Oils with extended drain interval, biodegradability, compatibility with biofuels, etc. are some other technological trends adopted by lubricants manufacturers. Services such as analysis of oil-in-service are offered by lubricants manufacturers to reduce downtime of equipment.

For future products, computational tribology and tribo-modeling are increasingly used in product engineering. With the rise in electrification, lubricants manufacturers are spending a significant amount of resources on R&D to make products for the future. Total is a leader in the development and manufacturing of fluids for hybrid/battery-operated vehicles or other systems.

What kind of products and solutions are used today to ensure right performance of the components?

With the increase in complexity & constraints of vehicles, products and services have evolved to ensure the right performance of the components. Lubricants manufacturers spend a significant amount of time & resources on R&D and work in collaboration with the OEMs and additive suppliers to develop the best performing product. Performance specifications by API, ACEA, JASO, ILSAC, etc. are updated regularly to ensure optimum performance and life of the components. As engine, driveline & other equipment technologies have become more complex and OEM-specific; lubricants with OEM approvals are increasingly used to ensure the right performance. Synthetic-based products add further to the performance.

Apart from the high-performance technical product, value-added services such as analysis of oil-in-service are used to monitor and ensure the perfect health of components. Total is among the pioneers in this area with its AI-based state-of-the-art oil analysis system called ANAC. Oil analysis report coupled with the OEM database & lubricants database gives a very good indication about the condition of various components. This helps in performing preventive maintenance and ensures the longevity of the equipment.

To summarize, high-performance products with OEM approvals along with services such as ANAC, will ensure the best performance of the components and reduce the total cost of ownership.

Tell us about the stringent emission norms compliance and also about the challenges in the transition to adopt BS-VI norms.

On April 1, 2020, the government announced the implementation of the Bharat Stage VI emission norm from existing BS-IV, skipping BS-V. This is a major change for the Indian automobile industry in recent times and an important step towards controlling vehicular emission. For construction equipment vehicles, CEV Stage IV & Stage V will be implemented in 2021 and 2024 respectively. All these new emission norms require a drastic reduction in key pollutants such as NOx, PM, CO, and HC, etc.

In order to comply with the emission norm, equipment manufacturers have to make several changes in the post-treatment system, combustion system, ECU, etc. DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter), Catalytic Converter, EGR (Exhaust Gas Recycle), SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), NOx Trap, etc. are some of the technologies adopted by the manufacturers.

The new emission norm also posed a challenge for the lubricants manufacturers. Oils need to be compatible with these expensive post-treatment systems and at the same time provide excellent engine protection. Total, thanks to its experience with EURO-VI in Europe & partnership with the OEMs, has launched a series of lubricants for these new generation vehicles.

As far as contractors are concerned, selecting the right lubricant needs proper knowledge. What are the steps taken in this regard?

Due to the evolution of in-vehicle technologies, emission norms, need for fuel economy, higher drain interval, etc. lubricants have become technical products, which requires proper knowledge for the selection of the right product. Total, as a major lubricants supplier, is committed to providing proper tools and knowledge to assist our end consumers, contractors, distributors, retailers, mechanics, etc. with the selection of the right product.

Numerous training sessions per year are organized by Total to give the basic knowledge of lubricants and how to select a product through physical demonstrations. We also have created a dedicated online training platform where lubricants selection is taught through audio-visual modes and interactive exercises.

We also provide lubricants recommendations based on equipment make & model in both online (website & mobile app) and offline modes. Thanks to our partnership with numerous OEMs, our products have several OEM approvals.

On top of everything, our technical and sales teams make regular visits to the contractors and inspect the vehicle & equipment parc and propose the right products and services to ensure the best performance and lower downtime.

Tell us about the emerging scenario in this segment and the outlook for the sector. Also, to what extent has the Covid pandemic affected the industry and likely to impact further?

India is the 3rd largest lubricants market in the world after China and the USA. It is the largest 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler market in the world. Almost all major OEMs are present in India. Demand for lubricants in the agriculture and transportation sector is witnessing huge growth, thanks to the high agricultural output of India.  Development of road & infrastructure projects fuels the demand for lubricants in the off-highway segment. The implementation of BS-VI has made a significant change in the lubricant industry and the upcoming vehicle scrap page policy will upgrade the vehicle parc in the coming years and will boost the demand for high-performance lubricants. In the long term, as the EVs will grow, automotive lubricants will see a major transition towards EV fluids. Industrial lubricants will continue to grow due to the government’s push for the industrial sector.

Last year, due to the Covid pandemic lubricants industries were facing a significant slowdown. We observed a quick market recovery in the last quarter of 2020, as the situation became better. As the situation is worsening now, we might see the impact again. The pandemic has evolved the services proposed by lubricant suppliers such as distance troubleshooting, more use of sensors, etc.

Can you tell us about your future plans in terms of investment/ introduction of new products and revenue outlook for the current fiscal?

Total, as a leading energy company, has a sustainable future growth plan for India. We have made significant investments in India in fuel stations, natural gas, bitumen, renewable energy, LPG verticals, etc. in the past years with our partners.

Lubricants remain our key focus area in India. Our main mantra is to provide premium products & value-added services to our customers to reduce the total cost of ownership for our customers. We have recently launched BS-VI compatible series of lubricants (TOTAL HI-PERF in MCO, TOTAL QUARTZ in PCMO & TOTAL RUBIA OPTIMA in HDMO). For the latest generation construction & mining equipment, we are shortly introducing RUBIA WORKS 4000. We have upgraded our portfolio of auxiliary products such as coolants, brake fluids, greases, hydraulic oils, etc. We have very recently completely revamped the look of the lubricants pack to give a better aesthetic look and provide all-important product information in the concise form of the pack itself. We are working to make our presence wider in the e-commerce segment in India. We are upgrading our supply-chain system with modern technologies. We are leveraging all digital means to ensure an even better customer experience.

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