May 21, 2019
Shell said that the laboratory will cater to the rising demand from the automotive and industrial sectors
The lab will partner with Indian original equipment manufacturers and support the engineering sector
The lab will develop performance data of Shell-branded products in India - the world’s No.3 lubricant market
Last year, Shell took over a LNG and Port venture in Gujarat and announced plans to open 1,200 retail outlets
Royal Dutch Shell Plc said on May 21 that it has launched a new lubricant laboratory, its first for India, at its technology centre in Bengaluru. The energy giant said that the facility will focus on research and development (R&D) for its global operations. Shell said that the laboratory will cater to the rising demand from the automotive and industrial sectors. Meanwhile, the lab will partner with Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and support the growing engineering sector in the nation, as per a report by The Press Trust of India. The lab will employ 15 experts who will use the latest technologies to develop more efficient solutions.
The lubricant lab will partner with Shell India’s technical and commercial teams to support local clients and expand local market base. Besides catering to OEMs, the lab will collect and develop performance data of Shell-branded products in India – the world’s third-largest lubricant market. Shell currently operates laboratories in Houston (US), Hamburg (Germany), Shanghai (China), along with an associate laboratory in Tokyo (Japan). Last year, Shell Gas had entered into an agreement with Total Gaz Electricité to acquire the latter’s 26 per cent stake in the Hazira LNG and Port venture in western state of Gujarat in order to grow its business in India.
The deal created a fully-owned and integrated Shell value chain in India – supply from Shell’s global LNG portfolio, regasification at the Hazira facility, and downstream customer sales. This was in line with Shell’s strategy to deepen its presence in India, the fourth largest LNG consumer in the world. In 2018, Shell had also indicated that it was looking to open as many as 1,200 retail outlets across India in the next decade. The company currently operates around 120 outlets across India and has acquired land for up to 200 more outlets. Shell’s expansion in the world’s third largest oil market is expected to create as many as 200,000 new retail and servicing jobs.