India’s TOP 500 Companies 2021

INDIA’S TOP 500 COMPANIES 2021 160 Experts’ View Tell us about Gulf Oil Lubricants journey in the Indian market thus far. Gulf Oil is amongst the top 3 lubricant companies in India (In terms of volumes, private sector) and the top 2 lubricant brands in India. Over the last 10-12 years we have achieved double digit CAGR growth in volume and grown ahead of the Industry growth rate (2- 3x times) consistently, outpaced the competition and increased our market shares and profitability. We have consistently maintained a strong net debt-free balance sheet and a regular dividend payout. Leveraging our brand associations (Chennai Super Kings in India, Manchester United and McLaren globally), brand ambassadors (Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Hardik Pandya) and below-the-line initiatives have helped our brand positioning. Launching longer drain lubricants and products with distinct value propositions, enhancing our capacities, winning new OEM accounts, expanding our urban & rural distribution footprint, adding marquee infrastructure and industrial customers year after year, have been instrumental in fueling our growth engines. What solutions or initiatives has the company introduced to gear up for a post-COVID world? Gulf Oil has embraced a new way forward to consistently create value over the long term. We have a road map for increasing our digitization initiatives and building strong platforms for our internal & external stakeholders. We are expanding our customer base and understanding their needs better to strengthen & drive up the value we can add with our product / service offerings. We are stepping up our engagement with social media investments to further enhance our brand recognition as well to communicate our value propositions. There has been an increased focus on deriving more returns from every investment and rationalizing our costs as this crisis unfolded itself and this will continue. Focus on safety, health and environment will continue to be a top priority as this one of the most critical needs for all of us. What is your outlook for the next 3-5 years? What are some of the key factors that will contribute to the company’s success? While the long-term lubricants industry growth prospects remain intact, in the medium term, demand is largely dependent on vehicular movement, automotive, infrastructure and industrial activities. Gulf being a strong player in the industry, especially in Bazaar segment, is well positioned to cater to the demand with our strengths in supply chain, brand and network. Our focus would continue to be on expanding our market share, providing distinct, need-based products, add more ’value’ and ‘premium brand’ conscious customers, and expand our distribution network across both physical & digital platforms. We are also focusing on increasing our market shares in the B2B, industrial, infrastructure and OEM segments in line with our segment wise strategies. Recently, as a part of our future EV play strategy, we have invested in a UK based EV company, Indra Renewable Technologies Ltd., which is currently manufacturing residential chargers in the UK and we are also looking at other opportunities in the EV value chain and allied products. GULF OIL LUBRICANTS INDIA LIMITED Ravi Chawla MD & CEO Dun & Bradstreet