BPCL launches lubricant for tractor market in Punjab, Haryana

Company mulls to roll out the product across India in the next six months

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) has launched a specially formulated lubricant - Universal Tractor Transmission Oil - in the Punjab and Haryana market, one of the most promising markets for tractor manufacturers. Further, the company is planning to roll out the product across India in the next six months.

Speaking to Business Standard, P C Srivastava, BPCL executive director, said, "Currently, of the total tractor in India, 20 per cent are using wet brake technology. Further, this is likely to contribute 40 per cent of the total sales in the next three years. Considering the evolution in technology, we have launched MAK Trac Magic +, which is a 3-in-1 universal tractor transmission oil that has been specially designed to meet the challenging lubrication requirements of transmission, differential and final drive gears, hydraulic and wet brake systems and it ensures peak performance of a tractor under all operating conditions. Providing one solution to multiple applications in tractors is the USP of the new product."

It is worth mentioning that the tractor market in India has been rapidly growing over the last 3 years, with an estimated sale of over 6 lakh tractors in 2012. Reports indicate that there is an estimated no of 4 million tractors in India with a CAGR of 10 per cent. This offers a huge potential for lubricant sales. The major markets are the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, followed by Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

He further added that the new oil, will be positioned in the appropriate agricultural segment and will be promoted aggressively though mechanics and retailers.

Punjab and Haryana being among the major markets, product has been initially launched here, and will be subsequently launched in other markets across India. The product will be available at all BPCL retail outlets and our distribution network in the Bazaar Channel.

He said that the new product has been introduced based on feedback received from an internal market survey which indicated that a requirement for such type of a universal tractor transmission oil existed. Subsequently extensive field trials for two years were carried out in 10 farm tractors of different makes, fitted with wet-brake (OIB) system. Trials were carried out in Ambala and Hyderabad. At the end of the field trials, physico-chemical properties and wear metals were well within rejection limits which indicated better over-all performance of the new product in field conditions.