Almaredge,. Cooledge,. Carecut,. Variocut,. Ilocut, Iloform,. Rustilo, Synitlo etc
which cater to specific materials, applications, processes and speeds to achieve
...
Market Castrol is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading specialist provider of lubricant solutions. Although most people know Castrol for its expertise in developing lubricants for cars and bikes, many are not aware that the company
freight, road private transport and state transport undertakings, while the off-road business includes building and construction, off highway workshops and quarries. Equipment manufacturing takes care of segments like metals (primary and secondary), transport equipment manufacturers (aerospace, buses, trucks, LCVs, SUVs, passenger cars, engines, auto components, scooters and motorcycles and other recreational vehicles), machinery manufacturers (bearings, compressors, pumps, mechanical and electrical machinery and wind power equipment) and fabricated metal goods (refrigeration, fasteners, bar, sheet and wire drawing).
Achievements
also produces lubricants for gas and electricity production, the transport industry, construction and earth moving vehicles, refrigeration, metalworking, plastics, the marine sector and for industry in general. Castrol came to India in 1919 as the first overseas branch office of C C Wakefield & Company, UK. Over the years, it evolved and grew to become the leading player in the Indian lubricant industry and the market leader in the retail automotive lubricant segment. The lubricant industry in India is oligarchic with a few players accounting for over 75% of the market share. Broadly, the lubricant industry is classified into three categories – automotive, industrial and marine. Until 1993, the Indian lubes market was strictly regulated, with the market dominated by public sector oil companies. The only notable private player in the business was Castrol with a market share of 6%. With the opening up of the economy and the deregulation of the oil sector, Castrol India has grown to become the second largest lubricant company with a market share of 20% (Source: Internal estimates). It is the market leader in the retail automotive segment with a share of 22% (Source: Internal estimates). Castrol’s Business to Business (B2B) segment can be divided into two parts – automotive B2B which includes on-road and offroad businesses and industrial B2B which includes equipment manufacturing and industrial maintenance. The on-road business comprises road 32
BUSINESS SUPERBRANDS
In over 100 years, Castrol has built one of the world's bestknown brands and attained leadership of the lubricants sector. Its distinctive brand identity is recognised across the globe. In India, it has an unprompted brand awareness of 93% (Source: Internal Brand Health Tracker). In addition to the excellence of its products, Castrol’s worldwide fame has been achieved through its long-term support of sporting and record-breaking achievements on land, sea and in the air. In India, Castrol has played a leadership role in the development of the lubricant industry. It is the only lubricant company to have a continuous presence in India for over 85 years. The experience and expertise that the company has gained during this period has given it an intimate knowledge and understanding of its consumers and the market. The company has always taken the lead in launching the latest technology and bringing world-class lubricants to India. Castrol is recognised as the technology leader and has a number of firsts to its credit including the launch of multi-grade diesel engine oils, the first dedicated two-stroke engine oil, the first CF4 engine oils etc. The company has leadership positions in most segments in which it operates. Castrol India has established itself as a leading player in the B2B segment, through its 'Product Plus'
offering, which includes value-added products and services which are designated Best in Class. The company works closely with its customers to develop products and services, specific to their unique needs and delivers tailor-made solutions to each. The company has a long and successful record of partnerships with most major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). With a strong brand, superior technology and width and depth of distribution, Castrol has become the preferred choice for OEMs who continually seek value-added products and services.
History On 19th March 1899, Charles Cheers Wakefield set up an oil company in England. Ten years later, he produced a new lubricant that would revolutionise transport in the first half of the twentieth century. He called the new oil Castrol. To this day, the Castrol name is synonymous with premium quality, high performance and leading-edge technology in lubrication. The success of Castrol owes much to the original philosophy of Charles Wakefield. He believed that success would best be achieved in partnership with his customers. This philosophy is as relevant today as it was then. The history of Castrol in India dates back to 1910 when certain automotive lubricants from C C Wakefield & Company made an entry in the Indian market. Nine years later the company set up its first overseas branch office in India and commenced operations as a trading unit. In 1983, the company went public, with 60% equity held by Indian shareholders. In 1994, Burmah Castrol increased its shareholding to 51%. Following the takeover of Burmah Castrol by BP in 2000, BP increased its shareholding to 71%. Subsequent to the amalgamation of Tata BP Lubricants India Limited with Castrol India, BP now holds 71.3% of the paid-up capital of the company.
Product From heavy goods vehicles to cargo ships, from farm tractors to earthmovers, from steel mill production lines to passenger buses, there is a Castrol lubricant designed specifically for the job. There are over 5,000 Castrol formulations which meet the requirements of different sectors. Castrol India manufactures and markets a wide range of automotive and industrial lubricants. It markets its automotive lubricants under two brands: Castrol and BP. Many of the company's brands are market leaders in the segments in which they operate – Castrol CRB (in the multi-grade diesel engine oil segment), Castrol Activ 4T (four-stroke motorcycle oils) and Castrol GTX (multi-grade passenger car engine oils)
amongst others. In the industrial business segment too, Castrol has leading brands like Alusol, Hysol, Superedge, Almaredge, Cooledge, Carecut, Variocut, Ilocut, Iloform, Rustilo, Synitlo etc which cater to specific materials, applications, processes and speeds to achieve greater performance. Castrol metal working products are market leaders in the country and enjoy a share of more than 16% (Source: Internal estimates). Partnering with leading manufacturers is a vital and integral part of Castrol’s business strategy. In the automotive B2B segment, for instance, Castrol works closely with its customers to improve their performance and cost efficiencies. Castrol's strength lies mainly in the 'Product Plus' package offered to its customers. Besides offering superior quality products, it also offers strong technical support and value-added services like oil checks and engine diagnostics. Castrol also supports its partners by providing training in safe material handling, storage and road safety. In the transport business segment, Castrol has attained a leadership position by gaining business through demonstrating performance and business benefits. Castrol also has long-standing partnerships with proud manufacturers like Tata Motors, Tata Cummins, Mahindra & Mahindra Eicher Motors, JCB, L&T Komatsu, L&T Case and Telcon, to name a few. In the industrial segment, Castrol enjoys strong business partnerships with market leaders like Ingersoll Rand and Ferromatic Milacron. The industrial team also works closely with top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Ashok Leyland, TVS, Sundram, Bajaj and Yamaha. The company also has a leadership supplier position in the franchised workshop segment which is an important channel of distribution for lubricant sales. Besides providing special products and packs, Castrol's Workshop Development Team works closely with mechanics and garage owners to create a business relationship that improves profitability for them.
Recent Developments In July 2000, BP acquired Burmah Castrol. In India, the takeover resulted in BP acquiring
71.3% of the company and Castrol became part of one of the largest companies in the world. The company also restructured itself to fit with the global strategy of getting closer to the customer. The sales organisation, too, has been restructured from a generalist to a specialist role in customer management. More recently, Castrol has made a foray into franchised motorcycle service with Castrol Bike Zone. Excellence – the premier cricket awards for Indian cricketers. In the B2B segment, the company focuses on direct communication with its customers through seminars, road shows and training programmes. These are aimed at highlighting awareness of the latest technology development, environment-friendly and operator-safe products. The company also advises customers on road safety and safe material handling practices. For the automotive B2B segment, Castrol has a dedicated team of key account specialists to work with its customers, understand their specific needs and deliver world-class solutions. This team is present where the customer's business is – even in remote areas and locations. In the building and construction segment, Castrol has achieved breakthrough success in most of the major infrastructure projects undertaken by the Government in recent times. In the OEM segment, Castrol has recently signed a series of agreements with leading manufacturers like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, JCB and Tata Cummins. In the industrial segment, customer focus is becoming sharper and a customer-centric culture is being imbued in the work force. Products for high-performance applications like aerospace, auto aluminium and tough steels, have been designed to increase the productivity with low cycle times. A new Customer Relationship Management tool – Platinum – has enabled the company to improve its customer interface and measure customer profitability with key accounts. This tool has been very effectively used for making strategic interventions in value-added customer offers.
Brand Values
Promotion
www.castrol.co.in
Castrol is a trailblazer in the Indian lubricant industry, being the first and at that time, the only lubricant manufacturer to advertise and promote engine oils. The company's pioneering 'Did You Know' series of advertisements undertaken in the late 1980s explained the role of lubricants and the art of lubrication to consumers. Over the years, the company has undertaken a series of innovative and eye-catching advertising campaigns and sponsorships to strengthen its brand image. Castrol was the first lubricants brand which forayed into the rural market with innovative ‘video van’ campaigns targeted at tractor owners and smaller villages and towns. More recently, Castrol has appointed Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador. The brand values associated with Rahul Dravid – performance, winning and dependability – are synonymous with the Castrol brand. It has also created a unique property in the Castrol Awards for Cricketing
Castrol is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading specialist provider of lubricant solutions. ‘From people and businesses to products and services, Castrol makes it work better’ is the refrain at the company. The company’s success is driven by five core brand values: it is passionate about the customers’ success; it is driven by performance but respects the environment; it has confidence that comes from experience from around the world; it challenges the status quo and always gets things done. The company’s brand attributes are: technology leadership, always winning, passion and excitement and superior performance. Underlying the vision and values is Castrol’s total commitment to working together with its customers for mutual benefit.
THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
Castrol Castrol is the only lubricant company in India to have a continuous presence in the country for over 85 years. Castrol is the second largest lubricant company in India with a market share of 20%. The company has a number of firsts to its credit including the launch of multi-grade diesel engine oils, the first dedicated two-stroke engine oil and the first CF4 engine oils. Besides technology innovations, Castrol India has also taken the lead in packaging innovations; it has introduced special sachet packs for twostroke oils and undertaken a series of initiatives to deliver tamper-proof packaging solutions. The company recently entered the motorcycle service segment with the launch of a Castrol franchised motorcycle service named Castrol Bike Zone.
BUSINESS SUPERBRANDS
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