Sanjeev Kaul, Managing Director, Lubrizol
1. It’s one yr to BS-VI, regardless of many challenges we noticed the well timed implementation of BS-VI final yr, in your view, what had been the largest challenges whereas implementing it and the way will the business take these as a studying for future?
The yr 2020 was powerful and difficult on a number of fronts, however the business stayed robust and agency with resolutions underpinning progress and know-how modifications whereas adapting to the brand new regular.
India efficiently managed the implementation of BS-VI, showcasing our resilience and technological development to the world. Apart from business autos, India together with Europe led the implementation of the world’s most stringent emission norms within the two-wheelers phase.
Leaping from BS-IV to BS-VI inside three years was a difficult activity for the business, because it required important modifications in Hardware, beginning with enhancements in engine combustion, calibration together with the introduction of after-treatment units.
Additionally, quite a few variables wanted to be factored in—Indian driving situations, load-carrying capacities, end-user perspective to fulfill lengthy drain sturdiness, and gas economic system expectations with testing and validation achieved in report time. It not solely demanded heavy investments however a collaborative and focussed method throughout the worth chain to make sure a easy transition.
In my opinion, one of many key learnings for the business to tackle board is that adhering to future laws on time with price effectivity must be carried out with out concessions on timelines. Automobile producers, gas & lubricant producers and components firms would want to proceed to collaborate whereas legislative our bodies should present a transparent path with satisfactory timelines that can assist in smoother execution.
2. BS-VI implementation is seen as a breakthrough within the automotive business, how additive producers like Lubrizol India contribute to creating BS-VI implementation smoother?
Automobile producers are key stakeholders within the BS-VI implementation; nonetheless, the additive business performed a vital function. To meet the tighter particulate matter limits of BS-VI, many of the car segments—particularly diesel—must be fitted with a particulate filter that’s delicate to sure additive chemistries, thus BS-VI led to a elementary shift in additive applied sciences and a transfer in the direction of those which might be appropriate with the emission management units.
While the additive world already had these applied sciences in place, the important thing behind the graceful implementation of BS-VI was early engagement of additive producers like ours with main vehicle producers to grasp modifications particularly arising out of Indian working situations. It was necessary to know the affect on efficiency wants for applicable additive know-how profiling.
Here, we leveraged our expertise from economies the place such tighter emission norms had been already carried out and, mixed with our native experience and enterprise understanding, we helped develop the know-how required for Indian situations. Our well timed technology of product credentials offering “proof of performance“ with robust fluid technologies came in handy for OEMs to fine-tune their products for Indian conditions.
3. Beyond BS-VI, what are the next steps toward further vehicle regulation and sustainability?
This industry keeps on evolving hence there are technological opportunities beyond BS-VI. On the back of success with BS-VI, there are quite a few technology interventions in the pipeline—Fuel Economy Mandate, Trem-IV for off-highway vehicles and BS-VI Part II—which indicate our journey towards an era of efficiency in India. We are fast aligning with the western economies on greenhouse gas emissions.
The focus on efficiency will be an enabler towards sustainability. In India, one of the biggest concerns is air pollution which has led to the emphasis on zero emissions and is propelling discussions and policy support for our journey into the electric vehicle space.
The recently announced vehicle scrapping policy is another effort in improving the air quality as older vehicles will be replaced by newer more emission friendly and efficient ones. Additionally, the Government is also looking at sustainable alternate transportation fuel (e.g. Ethanol) to reduce its dependence on crude. We are moving in the right direction but it will all depend on action on the ground to expect results in the medium to long term.
4. How have your collaboration channels with lubricant companies, automobile manufacturers and other eco system partners changed in this course of the event?
It’s been more than a year since we have adapted to the new normal. The situation will remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, making it even more essential to maintain relationships and connect with the ecosystem partners since everything is virtual.
Our continuous endeavour to offer solutions and add value and technical know-how through webinars, virtual customer meetings and conferences are helping us to keep the momentum going. It has supported us to work collaboratively for our existing and future developments.
I think the industry has adapted well and has been quite fast in adopting these new working styles. As they say – the show must go on.
5. In your view, what further steps should be taken to overcome unforeseen challenges in order to keep the economy stable? How are you contributing to the government of India on “Atmanirbhar Bharat”?
Last yr did push the business to re-think and re-wire itself right into a extra agile preventing machine. It pressured us to be extra self-reliant in important merchandise significantly related to the pharma and chemical business.
On speciality transportation and industrial additive facet, India is targeted on shifting ahead by creating the necessity to develop know-how, lubricants and gas, and many others.
It might be attainable when industries like ours, which offers important elements to probably the most necessary sectors, which, by many economists, referred to a number one indicator of the well being of a rustic’s economic system, work in the direction of turning into “Atmanirbhar” and align with Government’s “Make in India” initiative.
To this impact, Lubrizol should be a kind of only a few MNCs who presumably acknowledged the true potential of this nation a lot way back. It makes us proud to say that we have now been in India for greater than 50 years in full capability.
Our Turbhe, Navi Mumbai facility is an integral asset of Lubrizol Corporation’s international manufacturing footprint not solely catering to native wants but additionally globally. We had important successes with our localization and native sourcing efforts over the previous couple of years which supplies us confidence across the general uncooked materials availability inside India.
