Lubricants major Castrol India is getting EV ready not just in the product space but also in the service segment.
The company, which has more than 100,000 touch points across India, is investing in training auto mechanics to be EV ready.
Sandeep Sangwan, MD, Castrol India, said: “Our plan is to leverage our expanded distribution and auto service network to cater to the needs of EV owners. We are investing in making Indian car and bike mechanics EV-ready. We have conducted ASDC-certified EV readiness trainings for more than 200 mechanics across India and helped them acquire key diagnostic skills for EV servicing.”
This is over and above the product range that the company is rolling out both in India and globally for EV transition. In 2022, Castrol globally launched Castrol ON, a range of EV transmission fluids, coolants, and greases. “Currently we collaborate with most of the major OEMs in India including Tata Motors, BYD and MG and we have a global partnership with Renault as well,” he added.
Castrol has been investing in expanding its presence in the service and maintenance space in both ICE and EV segments. Late last year, it acquired 7.09% stake in Ki Mobility Solutions (KMS), a TVS group company, with a planned investment of up to INR 487.5 crore.
“With this strategic investment, we will expand our presence in service and maintenance for both ICE and EVs and leverage myTVS’ digital and operational capabilities,” added Sangwan.
The company is also building its reach on the coverage side. “We cover about 100,000+ outlets and we also now beginning to expand into the rural markets,” he added.
Castrol’s current rural footprint through its over 800 sub distributors.
The company has also diversified into an auto care new range of products with Castrol Chain Cleaner, Castrol Chain Lube, Castrol 3-in-1 Shiner, Castrol 1-Step Polishing Compound and Castrol Anti-Rust Lubricant Spray. Castrol has an installed capacity of 260 million litre across the three plants located in Silvassa, Patalganga and Paharpur.
“Additionally, we can always enhance it with the third-party suppliers because we have third-party tool blending capacity also who work with us,” added Sangwan.
The company’s annual average capex has been in the tune of INR 80-90 crore over the years and “we expect similar numbers this year as well,” he added.
