To Find The Market Potential For Relstar' Lubricant A Reliance Product in Bagalkot District"

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KARNATAK UNIVERSITY

DHARWAD

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES


PROJECT REPORT ON

“To Find the Market Potential for ‘Relstar’ Lubricant a


Reliance Product in Bagalkot district”

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS


FOR THE AWARD OF
MASTER DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
DURING THE YEAR 2007-2009
Submitted by
SHANKREPPA.S.ATALATTI
MBA II SEM
MBA07001049

INTERNAL GUIDE: EXTERNAL GUIDE:

Dr.N.Maruti Rao Mr.Basavaraj.S.Hanagandi


FACULTY IN MANAGEMENT AREA MANAGER

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 1


KARNATAK UNIVERSITY, DHARWAD
KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
Email: [email protected]
Dr.N.Maruti Rao Mobile: +91-9880587205
Faculty in Management,
K.I.M.S.

Ref... No. KU/KIMS/ Date: -

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr.Shankreppa.S.Atalatti is a bonafide student

of Kousali Institute of Management Studies, Karnataka University, Dharwad.

Has completed his summer project at Reliance Petro Marketing Pvt.Limited

Bijapur. He had undertaken a project titled “To find the market potential for

‘Relstar nova’ lubricant a reliance product in Bagalkot district” under my

guidance and submitted a report for the same.

Dr.N.Maruti Rao
(Faculty in KIMS)

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 2


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The successful completion of any task could be incomplete without


complementing those who made it possible and under whose guidance and
encouragement made our effort successful.

I would like to thank Mr.Basavaraj.S.Hanagandi


Area manager of Reliance petro marketing Ltd Bijapur. For giving me an
opportunity to do a project in Reliance petro marketing Ltd Bijapur.

I am very much beholden to my organization guide


Mr.Basavaraj.S.Hanagandi Area manager under his sincere guidance,
valuable suggestion and benevolent directions from time to time right from
the beginning up to the end of project.

I am very much thankful to Dr.N.Maruti Rao


Faculty Guide-KIMS, Karnataka University, Dharwad, who helped me a lot
during the progress of my work and to overcome all my difficulties.

I could also extend my thanks to all my friends who


have helped me directly or indirectly.

And I also express my heart full gratitude to Almighty,


my Parents for their love and blessing to complete the project successfully.
Shankreppa.S.Atalatti

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 3


DECLARATION

I here by declare that the project entitled “The market potential for

Relstar lubricant a reliance product in Bagalkot district” is submitted in

Partial fulfillment of MBA as prescribed by Karnataka University Dharwad

for the academic year 2007-2009.the report also has been submitted to

Kousali Institute of Management Studies Dharwad.

I also declare that this result is of my own effort and this report is

not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any

other degree.

Yours sincerely,

(Shankreppa.S.Atalatti)

Place: __________
Date: __________

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 4


INDEX

CHAPTER PAGE NO.


TOPIC
NO.
I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6
II INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 10
III 21
COMPANY OVERVEIW
IV 31
PRODUCT PROFILE
V COMPETITORS 43
VI 46
METHODOLOGY
VII 47
ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
VIII FINDINGS 69
IX 71
RECOMMENDATION
X CONCLUSION 72
XI BIBILOGRAPY 75
XII ANNEXURE 76

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 5


PART 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary
Introduction of the company

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 6


Started in the Dec 1999 this is the world largest refinery plant
in Jamnagar with the capacity of 27 million tones per year. The area
covered is about 7500 acres of Jamnagar. This is the largest investment
ever made at a single location on a single plant. The investment is about
US $ 6 Billion (i.e. about Rs 24000 crores). The construction was started
in Nov 1996 with a work force of 75000 people and project management
by world leader Bechtel.
The main purpose of this study is to find out the potential market
for Relstar in Bagalkot district. This is the newly entering lubricant
product of reliance Petroleum Company. It will most probably enter to
the market in September. So that I have surveyed whole Bagalkot district
to find out how many shoppers are ready to sale Relstar nova lubricant.
The potential market of relstar nova in Bagalkot district is 78% that
means that much percent of shoppers are ready to sell newly entering
reliance lubricant product relstar. And also I got the information about
major players, major customers, in fluency of mechanic, shoppers
influence while purchasing the lubricants.
Objective of the study
Main objective
 To know the potential market for RELSTAR a lubricant product of

reliance in whole Bagalkot district.

Sub objective

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 7


 To know the awareness about RELSTAR in Bagalkot district.

 To know about who are the major players

 To Know the Market condition for new Players

 To know the total Quantity of oil sold by shops in Bagalkot district.

 To know about who are the major customers for lubricants.

 To know the customer preference while purchasing the lubricants.

 To know about shoppers on which factor they concentrate more while


selling the lubricants.

 To know the how many shoppers are ready to sale a new reliance
lubricant product.

Scope of the study


 The study will help the company to know the awareness of Relstar in

Bagalkot district.
 The study will help to know the potential market for Relstar in

Bagalkot district.
 The company can find out where their competitors and they stand
 The study will help the company to know the customer profile.

Limitations of the study

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 8


No work is exception to the limitations. Every work has its own
limitations, so due to time constraint my study is confined only to Bagalkot
district and it is not possible to make extensive study. It is assumed that the
sample selected represents entire population.

1. Project study is not an exact science, so one cant’ accept 100% result,
only justified solutions are given.

2. The sample size is 86

3. Response of the respondent might be biased which might have affected


the findings of the survey.

Research methodology

Data source: Primary data (field survey)


Area of Research: Bagalkot district.
Research instrument: Questionnaire.
Sample Plan: Personal Interview.
Sample Unit: Automobile Shops
Sampling method: Convenience
Sampling method.
Sample Size: 86 respondents.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 9


PART 2

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Lubricant Industry overview

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 10


India is the sixth largest consumer of lubricants in the world. The
current lubricants market is estimated to be of $1222 million (Rs. 55 billion).
The automotive lubricants market in India was controlled by the four major
public sector oil companies such as major public sector oil companies such
as Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum
Corporation Limited (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
(BPCL) and a handful of private companies such as Castrol, Tidewater, and
others until 1992. Following liberalization, major policy initiatives were
taken and which, encouraged foreign companies to invest in India.

Current scenario of Indian Lubricant Industry

The Lubricant Industry in India Is at its Peak stage as the Market


condition is good because of Massive increase in the income of people and
growing economy the standard of living of the people is improving and the
people are able and willing to buy vehicles and many new players are
entering in to the Indian market with the segments of vehicles which are
perfectly suitable for Indian conditions, and of course the various companies
are joining hand to establish themselves into the Indian market. And the
massive infrastructure development projects which are going on in country
like building of Golden Quadrilateral Highways joining all the major cities
of the country , Up gradation of Highways , Boom in Mining sector ,
Improvement in the Roads in the City, Building of Flyovers , And Many
more development processes have added feathers to the Automobile Sector
and lead to massive demand for vehicles irrespective of their category i.e.
Two Wheelers, Three wheelers, Four Wheelers and Heavy Vehicles.
The Life in the city has become fast and every person is need of
vehicles according to their income. That time has gone when only the
persons who had more income would own a Two wheeler or four wheeler
with development in Banking sector has given opportunity to every common
man to purchase vehicle by getting loan. The development in industrial
sector has raised demand for Heavy transportation vehicles.
This all Factor have led to massive growth in automobile sector which
is base for Lubricant Industry as Every Vehicle needs lubricant for smooth
running and increase in vehicles means increase in Demand for Lubricants.
The Lubricant industry in India has been dominated by International Player
Castrol followed by Servo, Gulf and many other companies. The major
players in Indian Market are as follows
• Castrol India

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 11


• Bharat Petroleum
• Apar Industries
• Gulf Oil
• Hindustan Petroleum
• Indian Oil
• Savita Chemicals
• Tide Water
As Mentioned earlier the Indian Lubricant Market is in booming stage
there is lot of scope for new players entering in the market unless they are
able to over come the competition from the fully established players like
Castrol who have been ruling the market from decades.

Strong growth in the Indian automotive, power and engineering


sectors is creating new market opportunities for lubricants’ manufacturers,
according to a new study from the research and advisory firm, India
Analysis. In the automotive sector, consumers are migrating to better quality
vehicles and motorbikes and as a result, using higher grade lubricants; this is
benefiting multi-grade lubricant products with strong brand recognition and
wide distribution. In the industrials’ segment, high levels of investment in
the power, manufacturing and transport sectors should drive very strong
growth for transformer oils, marine and aviation lubricants. There are no
restrictions on foreign lubricant manufacturers from establishing 100%-
owned operations in India; many have chosen to partner with local
companies.
This new research study provides a comprehensive overview of the
Indian lubricants’ industry. It covers: market size and structure; competitive
analysis, distribution structure, etc. The study covers both the automotive
and industrial lubricants sectors. .
The report is targeted at lubricant manufacturers and distributors who
are keen to build an understanding of the Indian lubricants industry and the
opportunities it presents. In addition to this, it will be extremely useful for
financial investors pursuing investment opportunities in India, consultants
and other industry analysts.
Commenting on the research, Harjinder Singh-Heer, Managing
Director of India Analysis said “lubricant manufacturers who produce
premium products and invest in marketing and distribution can expect to
benefit from the growing opportunities in the Indian lubricants market.”

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 12


The Indian automotive lubricants market is largely price sensitive and
volume growth is stagnating due to longer lasting lubricants. The market is
fragmented with over 22 big and small manufacturers and with the spate of
mergers and acquisitions (M&A), only a handful of big companies enjoy a
major market share.
Companies are adopting a more customer-oriented approach where they are
likely to focus on creating brand awareness through print and visual media.
For example promotional campaigns and trade shows offering gifts to their
customers are methods of driving sales of automotive lubricants.
The original equipment segment and retail trade are the two major
marketing channels in the Indian automotive lubricants market. Due to the
growing competition, tie-ups with original equipment manufacturers (OEM)
are becoming important as they reinforce the value proposition of a
particular brand.
Petrol pumps form a major distribution channel in retail trade,
however sales of lubricants through retail outlets (also called ‘the bazaar
trade’) has transformed the Indian automotive lubricants market into a fast
moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The other marketing channels are
authorized service stations, garages, rural and agricultural dealers, super
markets, and wholesale distributors
Public sector unit (PSU) companies, that manufacture their own base
oil, follow different distribution strategies as compared to private
participants that solely dependent on imports. While PSUs sell through their
own wide spread network of petrol stations private manufacturers prefer
retail outlets.
Engine oil, which accounted for over 70.0 percent market share in
2004 in the Indian automotive lubricants market, plays the most crucial role
in deciding the market share of manufacturers. Increase in demand for four
stroke motorcycles, tie ups with original equipment manufacturers, and
implementation of new pollution norms are just some of the key drivers of
the engine oil segment.
The brake oil and coolant is the next largest segment in the Indian
automotive lubricants market. Demand for coolants is increasing due to
continuous growth in heavy commercial vehicles, increasing awareness
among the customers, new cooling system technologies, and OEM tie-ups.
In brake oil segment, increasing growth in light commercial vehicles,
introduction of new brake systems, and consumption of lubes by commercial
passenger vehicles, and changing customer mindset regarding specialty
lubricants are expected to push demand further.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 13


The market for gear oils is also growing rapidly and has a high
potential due to the increasing number of vehicles on the road. New
generation vehicles with advanced gear system technologies and automatic
transmission systems require special type of lubricants resulting in greater
demand for multi axel gear oil and API synthetic gear oil, API GL-5, API
MT-1, and ultra-Matic, which reduce the oil changing intervals.
In the long term, the overall outlook for the automotive lubricants market is
expected to be positive due to the growing Indian economy along with the
increased purchasing power of consumers.

Introduction
The Indian automotive lubricant market is the sixth largest market in
the world with revenues of approximately $1.30 billion in 2002. It is also
one of the fastest growing retail markets in India. Until 1993, it was a highly
regulated market with a clear dominance of the public sector. Companies
like Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), and Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) held more than 75 percent of the market share. In recent
years, with the advent of the increasing number of multinationals in the
Indian market there is a growing presence of private companies. Companies
like Castrol, Elf Total-Fina, Gulf, and Shell Oil have made their presence felt
in the market.

Market Size
Total production of automotive lubricants in India is approximately 8
to 10 percent of global lube production. Unlike other countries where
lubricant demand has witnessed stagnation, the Indian market has been
growing at approximately 7 percent per annum for the past 2 years. The
public sector contributes to over 60 percent of the revenues for this market.
MNC’s have 5 percent market share and the remaining share is held by the
unorganized sector. Automotive lubricants are further divided into diesel
lubes and petrol lubes. Diesel lubes comprise 70 percent of the market and
petrol based lubricants cover the rest. As diesel lubes are used by
commercial vehicles, which have to cover greater distances, their market
share is higher. Engine oil constitutes around 83 percent of total sales
volumes. Gear oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic brake fluids, and engine
coolants contribute to the balance.

Competitive Analysis

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 14


The first seeds of competition were sown in the early 1990’s when
following the liberalization of the Indian economy, the government decided
to open the Indian market to foreign competition. Import of base oil, the key
raw material, was de-canalized with IOC losing its status as the sole
canalizing agent. Pricing of base oil was deregulated in a phased manner and
currently it is market determined. Basic custom duty on base oil stock was
also reduced from a peak of 85 percent to a level of 25 percent. All
quantitative restrictions were also removed. These developments naturally
encouraged the entry of foreign players on Indian shores who were already
facing a slowdown in demand in their local markets. The coming in of
foreign participants created an excess supply situation in the Indian
automotive lubes market, which made it more difficult for the Indian lube
manufacturers to survive.
Recent deregulations in the lubricant market have promised many
new opportunities for the private lube manufacturers. With the dismantling
of Administered Price Mechanism (APM) the burden of subsidies is now
being passed on to the government. Private participants will also gain a
presence in the Indian oil and gas sector and hence there will be competition
between participants that will ensure the growth of the sector. In the next
couple of years, the industry is going to witness sea changes. Retail
networks, logistics management, and risk management are going to be the
crucial factors. The stand-alone refineries will have to be merged with the
marketing companies, as they do not have the distribution infrastructure to
sell their products in a deregulated market. Companies like Reliance are
already selling their products through petrol pumps. The monopoly of the
public sector holdings will no longer exist. MNC’s will be able to sell their
products through petrol pumps. Lubes manufactured by Reliance Petroleum,
Castrol, Elf, Gulf Oil etc, which are now sold at petrol pumps. In medium to
long term, Frost & Sullivan expects private sector companies to have a
market share of around 25 percent.

Distribution Structure
There are two key markets for lubricants in India. Given high levels
of competition original equipment, linkages are gaining importance. The
original equipment market contributes almost 70 percent and 30 percent of
the market is comprised by the retail sales segment. The channel for
replacement market or the retail segment is petrol pumps or retail stores.
Almost 70 percent of the lubricants in India are sold through petrol pumps.
Most of the MNC’s have tied up with oil majors for marketing their
lubricants like Castrol with Escorts and Tata BP with Telco. After the

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 15


deregulation of the petrol pumps companies are keenly watching the
developments in the lubes market.
The distribution channel adopted by public sector units is through
the petrol pumps. Other private participants have had to set up an
independent infrastructure comprising of distributors, stockiest and retailers
through out India. MNC’s and private companies sell through retail stores.
To compete with dominant public sector distribution, concepts like
"Bazaars" and "Super Stores" have also been developed. Castrol developed
the concept of "Bazaars." These are outlets meant only for lubricant sales.
The concept of "User Outlet" is another new concept developed by Castrol.
In this, the consumer selects his own brand of lube after giving his vehicle
for service in the same outlet. Convenient stores and highway stops for
vehicles are being built from where the vehicle owners can get their vehicles
repaired and get their supply of lubricants. In the lube market, Indian Oil
Corporation Limited is leading the market with 30 percent market share.
Castrol is next with 25 percent of the share and HPCL and BPCL are next
with about 20 percent and 15 percent shares respectively. Other private
companies hold the remaining market share.

Diesel Engine Lubricants for Automobiles


The main function of a lubricant for diesel engine is equivalent to a
gasoline engine. As the load in diesel engine is much higher it should have
adequate anti-wear properties. Diesel fuel contains a high level of sulphur
which, burns to form oxides of sulphur, which in turn in the presence of
water, form sulphur acids resting in high corrosion of car engine parts.
Hence the need of alkalinity reserve in the oil, which is represented by its
TBN or Total Base Number. Generally, the higher TBN value more the
alkalinity reserve or acid neutralizing capacity the oil contains.

Synthetic Oil
The start of synthetic oil more than fifty years back opened up vastly
improved and new alternative lubricant to mineral oil. But being very
expensive, it is confirmed to the arcane world of car sports and used for high
performance cars. They are also widely used in developing countries for a
number of reasons like improved overall engine performance, low oil
consumption; long drain periods, less engine wear, improved engine
cleanliness and faster starting. Taking into consideration the price tag and its
efficacy, the option is left for consumer's discretion.

Additives

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 16


Plain mineral oils cannot provide all the necessary functional
properties that an engine requires. These plain mineral oils need fortification
with chemicals/additives which when used in small quantities, import or
enhance the desirable functional properties. Some of the types and reasons
for their use are as follows:

Dispersants:
Keeps sludge, carbon and other deposit- precursors suspended in oil.

Detergents:
Keeps the automobile engine parts clean from deposits.

Rust/Corrosion Inhibitors:
Prevents or controls oxidation of oil, formation of varnish, sludge and
corrosive compounds, limit viscosity increase.

Extreme Pressure (EP),


Anti wear and friction modifiers: These form protective film on the
engine parts and reduce wear and tear of the automobile.

Metal deactivators:
Forms surface films so that metal surface does not catalyze oil
oxidation.

Pour Point Depressant:


Lowers freezing point of oils assuring free flow at lower temperatures.

Anti-foamants:
Reduces foam in crankcase and blending

The main purpose of lubricants in cars is to smoothen the moving parts


of the automobile to reduce friction and wear and tear by providing trouble
free performance for a longer span of time. A lubricant is a blend of base oils
and performance-enhancing additives as required by car engine, gear box
and other functional areas.

Engine oil is the most important of the all the lubricants .Lubricants for
gasoline and diesel engine are different as the load cycles and fuels are
different. Other than reducing friction, the oil in a car engine

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 17


Helps to:

• Seal the high-pressure combustion gases inside the cylinders,


• Impede the corrosion of metal parts,
• Absorb some of the harmful by-products of combustion,
• Transfer heat from one part of the engine to another.

Combustion of rich air-fuel mixture during starting, idling and warm


up form deposits. These deposits in the form of varnish, sludge, soot and
carbon, interfere with proper engine operation.

The engine oil keeps all the deposit forming material in suspension
and gets rid of them by oil filter, or draining out at proper intervals.

Engine oil is stored in the oil pan at the bottom of the automobile
engine. A pump forces the oil through a filter and then through a series of
passages and galleries to lubricate the engine's moving parts. The oil also
cools these car parts. Rapidly moving engine parts actually float on a thin
film of oil and never make contact with one another. This is called
hydrodynamic lubrication and usually begins when an engine reaches the
idle speed. Most engine wear and tear occurs when a car is first started,
before the oil reaches its normal operating pressure and flow.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 18


PART 3

COMPANY OVERVIEW

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 19


Company Overview
History of reliance refineries at Jamnagar.

Started in the Dec 1999 this is the world’s largest refinery plant in
Jamnagar with the capacity of 27 million tones per year. The area covered is
about 7500 acres of Jamnagar. This is the largest investment ever made at a
single location on a single plant. The investment is about US $ 6 Billion (i.e.
about Rs 24000 crores). The construction was started in Nov 1996 with a
work force of 75000 people and project management by world leader
Bechtel. Technology adopted by Global Giants like Linde, Foster Wheeler
USA etc. The Jamnagar plant has made up with help of giants like world’s
biggest onshore crane of 1600 MT capacity, 14000 kms of cabling, 5000
kms of pipeline, 10000 meters of structural steel, 170 kms of road, 1.7
million cubic meters of concrete, 55 sub stations, 33 blast proof buildings,
43 chimneys and flares, Housing facilities for 75000 families, 4 bounded
were houses, And India’s largest IT network constructed it contains
50servers, thousands of PC’s, 200 kms of cabling.

The plant is fully computerized and automated to respond to real


time business and to respond to the changes immediately, to produce
different grades of crude and according to the different customer demands,
quality control is uncompromising, meeting the Californian standards,
designed in such a way that it is able to make profits under any conditions
like regulated or deregulated refine scenario of India, changing rules and
specifications of the government, so the refinery is build in such a way that it
can swing any way as per the marketing conditions, and to adjusted to
changing product prices up or down. So they call it as “The Giant which
dance according to their tunes”

Reliance Petro Marketing background

Reliance petro Marketing is engaged in marketing the fuel produced


by the Reliance Petroleum it has set up around 2500 outlets all over the
country, these outlets are engaged in the work of retail sale of the fuel. For
the purpose of ownership company has divided the ownership of these
outlets in to three types based on the ownership of fuel and management of
the outlet Viz COCO, CODO, DODO.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 20


COCO (Company Owned & Company Operated):

The outlet is company owned and company operated. These Outlets


were setup in the first stage of the setting up of the Reliance Fuel outlets.
These outlets were completely owned and managed by the reliance company
i.e. both ownership of the fuel and management of the outlet are with the
Reliance petroleum. Company will appoint a person in charge to maintain
the operations of the outlet and he will be paid a fixed remuneration for
managing the outlet, this remuneration is irrespective of the sales made by
him.

CODO (Company owned & Dealers Operated):

The outlets were owned by the company but are operated by the
Local Dealers Selected and appointed by the Reliance Officials. The
Company will provide the fuel to sell but all the operations of the outlets
were managed by the dealer appointed. Here in this type the Ownership of
the fuel and outlet is with the Reliance petroleum and management is by the
dealer appointed. Dealers will be paid commission based on the sales made
by them. These were started in the second phase of the setting up of the
Reliance outlets. The commission pattern of the dealers is as follows:

Commission pattern for CODO outlets

Fuel Quantity Rate Above 125 KL

MS Up to 125 KL Rs 550/KL 250/KL

HSD Up to 125 KL Rs 875/KL 250/KL

DODO (Dealers Owned & Dealer Operated):

These are the outlets which were owned by the Dealers and Were
Managed by the Dealers. The company will provide its design for the outlet
according to which the dealer has to build the outlet bearing all the expenses
and in future the company will supply fuel which the dealer will sell, here

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 21


both the ownerships i.e. ownership of fuel and ownership of outlet are with
the dealer company gives only its brand name. The dealers are entitled to get
a commission on the sales made by them. These outlets were started in the
last phase of the setting up of the Reliance outlets.

Ownership chart

Type COCO CODO DODO

Outlet ownership RIL RIL Dealer

Stock Ownership RIL Dealer Dealer

Sales Expected 500+ 300-500 100-300


(KL/Month)

Refining activities of Reliance Industries Limited are carried out at


the Jamnagar refinery.

The refinery is able to process a wide variety of crude’s- from very


light to very heavy (from 18 to 45 degree API) and from sweet to very heavy
(with sulphur content from 0 to 4.5 %).

With an annual crude processing capacity of 580,000 barrels


(92,000 m³) per stream day (BPSD), RPL will be the sixth largest refinery in
the world. It will have a complexity of 14.0, using the Nelson Complexity
Index, ranking it amongst the highest in the sector. The polypropylene plant
will have a capacity to produce 0.9 million metric tones per annum.

The refinery project is being implemented at a capital cost of Rs


27,000 crore being funded through a mix of equity and debt. This represents
a capital cost of less than US $10,000 per barrel per day and compares very
favorably with the average capital cost of new refineries announced in recent
years. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates the average capital
cost of new refinery in the OECD nations to be in the region of US $15,000
to 20,000 per barrel per day. The low capital cost of RPL becomes even

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 22


more attractive when adjusted for high complexity of the refinery. RPL's low
capital cost is a result of the benefits of 'intelligent repeat' of design and
engineering aspects of RIL's existing refinery, proactive procurement
strategy and faster implementation of the refinery project. This is expected to
provide sustainable competitive advantage in the market place and enable
RPL to deliver superior value in the coming years.

RPL also benefits from a strategic alliance with Chevron India


Holdings Pvt.Limited, Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron
Corporation USA (Chevron), which currently holds a 5% equity stake in the
Company.

RPL achieves overall project progress of 65% Refinery on track for


timely completion JAMNAGAR (Gujarat), 16th July 2007: Reliance
Petroleum Limited (“RPL”) continues to make rapid progress in
implementation of its large, complex refinery, coming up in a SEZ at
Jamnagar. Reflecting rapid strides made on all implementation fronts, RPL
has achieved overall project progress of 65% - in just 19 months since
commencement of the Project. With engineering and procurement activities
nearing completion and required site infrastructure mobilized to sustain the
fast pace of construction, RPL refinery is well on track for completion by
December 2008.RPL has achieved project completion of 94% according to
Contractor as of 23 July 2008 as published in Article in DNA Money.

Before Reliance Industries Ltd forayed into the business of petroleum


retailing, the four public sector companies had reconciled to the above myth
that had been guiding the petroleum retail sector for decades.

The entry of Reliance petrol stations not only broke this long standing
myth, it created new theories that shocked the staid public sector.

For long everyone had believed that it you had 40 per cent of outlet
share, you would get 40 per cent of market share of total volume(s) of
product sold. The theory was built around the fact that all stations were built
alike, managed alike and, hence, would sell alike.

It is not strange that till the late nineties, if a company had around 19
per cent outlet share, then it also had the market share in the 19-20 per cent
range.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 23


In the petroleum industry, there exists a measure of a company's
effectiveness in a particular market. It is measured in terms of marketing
effectiveness (ME).An ME of '1' means that if a company's outlet share is X
per cent and if it's market share is also X per cent, then its ME = X/X = 1.
For long, IOC, HPCL, BPCL and IBP were content with achieving a ME of
1.

It was only in late the late nineties; BPCL thought about breaking
free from the shackles of this myth and started thinking about going beyond
the ME of 1. It started with its ambitious programmed called, 'Pure For Sure'
which paid rich dividends and it is this out-of-box thinking of BPC that led
to it’s per station monthly throughput grow at least 20,000
liters more than the industry average.

Reliance, from day one, challenged the myth of market share being
dependent upon the Retail outlet share. It patterned its thought-process on
'Flying J' -- a diesel retailer that with just around 200 stations had become
the Number 1 diesel retailer in North America, beating the likes of Exxon
Mobil, Shell, BP and Chevron.

Reliance thought that it was possible to have the least number of


petrol stations in the country and yet be the leader in terms of volume of
petroleum products sold across the nation.

It challenged its managers to look beyond the ME of 1 and try and


capture the ME of 3 or even 4. This means that Reliance felt that it was
possible to have just 3 per cent of outlet share and yet have more than 12 per
cent of market share. This dream was achieved by Reliance during the
financial year 2005-2006.

Reliance achieved a market share of 12 per cent with just 3 per cent
station share in 2005-2006. On the other hand the public sector companies
held a market share of 88 per cent while holding the retail outlet share of 96
per cent. This shows that whereas Reliance achieved a market effectiveness
of nearly 4; the combined ME of PSUs was less than 1!

Growth through Energy Products

Petroleum Refining and retailing is the second link in Reliance's


drive for growth and global leadership in the core energy and materials value

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 24


chain. Reliance operates the third largest refinery in the world at any single
location; the refinery is fully integrated and consists of more than 50
processing units.

The Reliance petroleum refinery, first in the private sector in India,


has now completed ten years of successful operations. In January 2005, With
the Jamnagar Refinery significantly improving domestic product availability,
India has become a net exporter of petroleum products. Our aggregate export
volumes of refined products grew by over 63% to 17.7 million tones from
10.8 million tones in the previous year.

Reliance is in the process of doubling the petroleum refinery at


Jamnagar, which will make it the largest petroleum refinery in the world.
Reliance is also rolling out a state-of-the-art, pan-India petroleum retail
network aimed at providing the Indian consumer with world-class retail
experience.

We at Reliance are committed to total customer satisfaction in terms


of Quality & services for entire range of our products. Our continued
commitment to excellence and innovative efforts help us stay ahead as
market leaders.

Reliance Industries Ltd. is India's largest private-sector company,


generating revenues of $19.97 billion, or more than 3 percent of India's total
gross domestic product. Founded as a textiles company, Reliance has
successfully completed a backward integration strategy that has transformed
it into India's largest private-sector petrochemicals company, and number
two overall (behind state-owned India Oil). Reliance's petrochemicals
division is fully integrated and includes exploration and production; refining
(the company has built one of the world's largest and most modern refinery
complexes at Jamnagar in Gujarat); marketing, through a chain of more than
1,000 service stations; and the production of petrochemicals, including
polymers, polyester, polyester intermediates, and others. These chemicals
are used to support Reliance's continued textile operations, which focus
particularly on the production of polyester fabrics. Following the 2004
acquisition of Trevira, the company has become the world's leading
polyester manufacturer, with production levels topping 25 million meters per
year. The company's textile range includes other fabrics, such as acrylics,
and finished garments.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 25


Reliance Industries represents the continuation of India's greatest
corporate success story since the country's independence. Founded by
Dhirubhai H. Ambani in 1958, Reliance grew to include holdings in energy
production and distribution, telecommunications, and capital finance. After a
public feud between Mukesh D. Ambani and younger brother Anil, these
operations were split off into a new company controlled by Anil Ambani.
Reliance Industries is listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange. Mukesh
Ambani is company chairman and managing director.

Indian Petroleum Giant at the Start of the 21st Century

Reliance's vertical integration strategy naturally led to an interest in


extending its operations to petroleum refining, and even to exploration and
production. Yet these sectors remained tightly under state control, following
the nationalization of the Indian oil industry in 1976 amid the global oil
crisis. Although the state-owned oil companies were able to meet domestic
demand through the 1980s, by the early 1990s, the country's existing
oilfields were showing signs of depletion. At the same time, demand had
been rising steadily, yet the oil companies, propped up by state subsidies,
were too strapped for cash to invest in further exploration efforts. An initial
attempt to liberalize the production and refining sectors failed, however,
amid strong union protests.

In the meantime, Reliance made preparations for its move into the
petroleum industry. In 1991, the company set up a new subsidiary, Reliance
Refineries Private Ltd., clearly signaling its objectives. The subsidiary later
changed its name to Reliance Petroleum Limited, and in 1993 launched a
public offering, which at that time was India's largest ever IPO. While
Reliance affirmed its plans to construct India's largest oil refinery, the
company began developing its petroleum products marketing and
distribution operations, including a network of some 1,000 service stations.

Reliance continued to pioneer financing channels in India. In 1993,


for example, the company became the first Indian company to raise capital
on the foreign market, through a Global Depositary Receipt (GDR) issue in
Luxembourg. The company completed a second successful GDR issue in
1994. The company used the new capital in part to expand its petrochemicals
wing, building the world's largest multi-feed cracker at the Hazira site. The
company also added production plants for monoethylene glycol,

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 26


polyethylene, and purified terephthalic acid. The new units launched
production in 1998.

Reliance's opportunity for entry into petroleum refining came in


1997, when the Indian oil industry reached a state of near collapse. Unable to
fund further exploration operations, and lacking the capital to expand its
existing production, the government was forced to liberalize the sector. In
that year, Reliance announced a plan to build one of the world's largest and
most modern petroleum refining complexes in Jamnagar, Gujarat, at a cost
of some $6 billion. The government agreed to the plan, and granted the
company the right to import petroleum directly, rather than going through
Indian Oil, which helped Reliance greatly drive down operating costs.

Constructed in record time, the Jamnagar site was commissioned in


1999. The site's production capacity was double that of any other Indian
refinery and ranked among the top five in the world. The addition of the new
facility also placed Reliance at the top rank of the country's private-sector
companies. In 2002, Reliance Petroleum was merged into Reliance
Industries, which then became one of the country's top three companies,
including state-owned entities.

Petroleum is used mostly, by volume, for producing fuel oil and


gasoline (petrol), both important "primary energy" sources. 84% by volume
of the hydrocarbons present in petroleum is converted into energy-rich fuels
(petroleum-based fuels), including gasoline, diesel, jet, heating, and other
fuel oils, and liquefied petroleum gas.

Due to its high energy density, easy transportability and relative


abundance, it has become the world's most important source of energy since
the mid-1950s. Petroleum is also the raw material for many chemical
products, including pharmaceuticals, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, and
plastics; the 16% not used for energy production is converted into these
other materials.

Petroleum is found in porous rock formations in the upper strata of


some areas of the Earth's crust. There is also petroleum in oil sands (tar
sands). Known reserves of petroleum are typically estimated at around 190
km3 (1.2 trillion (short scale) barrels) without oil sands, or 595 km3 (3.74
trillion barrels) with oil sands. Consumption is currently around 84 million
barrels (13.4×106 m3) per day, or 4.9 km3 per year. Because the energy return

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 27


over energy invested (EROEI) ratio of oil is constantly falling as petroleum
recovery gets more difficult, recoverable oil reserves are significantly less
than total oil-in-place. At current consumption levels, and assuming that oil
will be consumed only from reservoirs, known recoverable reserves would
be gone around 2039, potentially leading to a global energy crisis. However,
there are factors which may extend or reduce this estimate, including the
rapidly increasing demand for petroleum in China, India, and other
developing nations; new discoveries; energy conservation and use of
alternative energy sources; and new economically viable exploitation of non-
conventional oil sources.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 28


PART 4

PRODUCT PROFILE AND


COMPETITORS

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 29


Relstar product profile
Relstar is the new lubricant product of reliance petroleum
industry. The company already planned to launch this product most
probably in September. The profile containing meaning of lubricant, purpose
of this lubricant, Advantages, etc.

Relstar Lubricant (sometimes referred to "Lube") is a substance


(often a liquid) introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the
friction and wear between them. A lubricant provides a protective film which
allows for two touching surfaces to be separated and "smoothed," thus
lessening the friction between them. Lubricants chemically interact with all
surfaces so that contact only occurs with the smooth and free lubricant. By
this process, abrasive particles are dissolved into the lubricant, thus making
them also very good solvents and cleaners. Petroleum-based lubricants like
Vaseline tend to dissolve petroleum products such as rubber and plastic,
while water-based lubricants tend to dissolve polar chemicals (like water and
dirt); hence the additives. The lubricant must be replaced when it has
dissolved to saturation, because the inability to dissolve additional abrasive
debris allows abrasive particles to scrape against or become lodged in the
working surfaces, thus introducing a margin for physical contact between
them. Lubricants which dissolve working surfaces (such as Vaseline with
rubber) defeat their purpose by corroding the smooth surfaces by their own
dissolving power, thus compromising structural integrity, surface
smoothness, and system-wide contamination. It can also help to remove gum
from hair.

One of the single largest applications for lubricants, in the form of


motor oil, is to protect the internal combustion engines in motor vehicles and
powered equipment.

Typically lubricants contain 90% base oil (most often petroleum


fractions, called mineral oils) and less than 10% additives. Vegetable oils or
synthetic liquids such as hydrogenated polyolefin’s, esters, silicone,
fluorocarbons and many others are sometimes used as base oils. Additives
deliver reduced friction and wear, increased viscosity, improved viscosity
index, resistance to corrosion and oxidation, aging or contamination, etc.

Lubricants such as 2-cycle oil are also added to some fuels. Sulfur
impurities in fuels also provide some lubrication properties, which have to

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 30


be taken in account when switching to a low-sulfur diesel; biodiesel is a
popular diesel fuel additive providing additional lubricity.

Non-liquid lubricants include grease, powders (dry graphite,


PTFE, Molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, etc.), Teflon tape used in
plumbing, air cushion and others. Dry lubricants such as graphite,
molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide also offer lubrication at
temperatures (up to 350 °C) higher than liquid and oil-based lubricants are
able to operate. Limited interest has been shown in low friction properties of
compacted oxide glaze layers formed at several hundred degrees Celsius in
metallic sliding systems, however, practical use is still many years away due
to their physically unstable nature.

Another approach to reducing friction and wear is to use bearings


such as ball bearings, roller bearings or air bearings, which in turn require
internal lubrication themselves, or to use sound, in the case of acoustic
lubrication.

In addition to automotive and industrial applications, lubricants are


used for many other purposes, including as a personal lubricant, bio-medical
applications (e.g. lubricants for artificial joints) and others.

Main Purpose of Relstar lubricant

Lubricants perform the following key functions.

• Keep moving parts apart


• Reduce friction
• Transfer heat
• Carry away contaminants & debris
• Transmit power
• Protect against wear
• Prevent corrosion
• Stop the risk of smoke and fire of objects

Keep moving parts apart

Lubricants are typically used to separate moving parts in a system.


This has the benefit of reducing friction and surface fatigue together with
reduced heat generation, operating noise and vibrations. Lubricants achieve
this by several ways. The most common is by forming a physical barrier i.e.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 31


a thin layer of lubricant separates the moving parts. This is termed
hydrodynamic lubrication. In cases of high surface pressures or temperatures
the fluid film is much thinner and some of the forces are transmitted between
the surfaces through the lubricant. This is termed elasto-hydrodynamic
lubrication.

Reduce friction

Typically the lubricant-to-surface friction is much less than


surface-to-surface friction in a system without any lubrication. Thus use of a
lubricant reduces the overall system friction. Reduced friction has the benefit
of reducing heat generation and reduced formation of wear particles as well
as improved efficiency. Lubricants may contain additives known as friction
modifiers that chemically bind to metal surfaces to reduce surface friction
even when there is insufficient bulk lubricant present for hydrodynamic
lubrication, e.g. protecting the valve train in a car engine at startup.

Transfer heat

Both gas and liquid lubricants can transfer heat. However, liquid
lubricants are much more effective on account of their high specific heat
capacity. Typically the liquid lubricant is constantly circulated to a cooler
part of the system, although lubricants may be used to warm as well as to
cool when a regulated temperature is required. This circulating flow also
determines the amount of heat that is carried away in any given unit of time.
High flow systems can carry away a lot of heat and have the additional
benefit of reducing the thermal stress on the lubricant. Thus lower cost liquid
lubricants may be used. The primary drawback is that high flows typically
require larger sumps and bigger cooling units. A secondary drawback is that
a high flow system that relies on the flow rate to protect the lubricant from
thermal stress is susceptible to catastrophic failure during sudden system
shut downs. An automotive oil-cooled turbocharger is a typical example.
Turbochargers get red hot during operation and the oil that is cooling them
only survives as its residence time in the system is very short i.e. high flow
rate. If the system is shut down suddenly (pulling into a service area after a
high speed drive and stopping the engine) the oil that is in the turbo charger
immediately oxidizes and will clog the oil ways with deposits. Over time
these deposits can completely block the oil ways, reducing the cooling with
the result that the turbo charger experiences total failure typically with seized
bearings. Non-flowing lubricants such as greases & pastes are not effective

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 32


at heat transfer although they do contribute by reducing the generation of
heat in the first place.

Carry away contaminants and debris

Lubricant circulation systems have the benefit of carrying away


internally generated debris and external contaminants that get introduced
into the system to a filter where they can be removed. Lubricants for
machines that regularly generate debris or contaminants such as automotive
engines typically contain detergent and dispersant additives to assist in
debris and contaminant transport to the filter and removal. Over time the
filter will get clogged and require cleaning or replacement, hence the
recommendation to change a car's oil filter at the same time as changing the
oil. In closed systems such as gear boxes the filter may be supplemented by
a magnet to attract any iron fines that get created.

It is apparent that in a circulatory system the oil will only be as clean as the
filter can make it, thus it is unfortunate that there are no industry standards
by which consumers can readily assess the filtering ability of various
automotive filters. Poor filtration significantly reduces the life of the
machine (engine) as well as making the system inefficient.

Transmit power

Pascal's law is at the heart of hydrostatic power transmission.


Hydraulic fluids comprise a large portion of all lubricants produced in the
world.

Protect against wear

Lubricants prevent wear by keeping the moving parts apart.


Lubricants may also contain anti-wear or extreme pressure additives to boost
their performance against wear and fatigue.

Prevent corrosion

Good quality lubricants are typically formulated with additives that


form chemical bonds with surfaces to prevent corrosion and rust.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 33


History

Romans used rags dipped in animal fat to lubricate wagon wheels;


however the science of lubrication (tribology) really only took off with the
industrial revolution in the nineteenth century.

General composition

Lubricants are generally composed of a majority of base oil and a


minority of additives to impart desirable characteristics.

Marketing

The global lubricant market is generally competitive with numerous


manufacturers and marketers. Overall the western market may be considered
mature with a flat to declining overall volumes while there is strong growth
in the emerging economies. The lubricant marketers generally--- pursue one
or more of the following strategies when pursuing business.

• Specification:

The lubricant is said to meet a certain specification. In the


consumer market, this is often supported by a logo, symbol or words that
inform the consumer that the lubricant marketer has obtained independent
verification of conformance to the specification. Examples of these include
the API’s donut logo or the NSF tick mark. The most widely perceived is
SAE viscosity specification, like SAE 10W-40. Lubricity specifications are
institute and manufacturer based. In the U.S. institute: API S for petrol
engines, API C for diesel engines. For 2007 the current specs are API SM
and API CJ. Higher second letter marks better oil properties, like lower
engine wear supported by tests. In EU the ACEA specifications are used.
There are classes A, B, C, and E with number following the letter. Japan
introduced the JASO specification for motorbike engines. In the industrial
market place the specification may take the form of a legal contract to supply
a conforming fluid or purchasers may choose to buy on the basis of a
manufacturers own published specification.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 34


• Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) approval:

Specifications often denote a minimum acceptable performance


levels. Thus many equipment manufacturers add on their own particular
requirements or tighten the tolerance on a general specification to meet their
particular needs (or doing a different set of tests or using different/own test
bed engine). This gives the lubricant marketer an avenue to differentiate their
product by designing it to meet an OEM specification. Often, the OEM
carries out extensive testing and maintains an active list of approved
products. This is a powerful marketing tool in the lubricant marketplace.
Text on the back of the motor oil label usually has a list of conformity to
some OEM specifications, such as MB, MAN, Volvo, Cummins, VW, BMW
or others. Manufactures may have vastly different specifications for the
range of engines they make; one may not be completely suitable for some
other.

• Performance:

The lubricant marketer claims benefits for the customer based on


the superior performance of the lubricant. Such marketing is supported by
glamorous advertising, sponsorships of typically sporting events and
endorsements. Unfortunately broad performance claims are common in the
consumer marketplace, which are difficult or impossible for a typical
consumer to verify. In the B2B market place the marketer is normally
expected to show data that supports the claims, hence reducing the use of
broad claims. Increasing performance, reducing wear and fuel consumption
is also aim of the later API, ACEA and car manufacturer oil specifications,
so lubricant marketers can back their claims by doing extensive (and
expensive) testing.

• Longevity:

The marketer claims that their lubricant maintains its performance


over a longer period of time. For example in the consumer market, a typical
motor oil change interval is around the 3000-6000 miles (7500-15000 km).
The lubricant marketer may offer a lubricant that lasts for 12000 (30000km)
miles or more to convince a user to pay a premium. Typically, the consumer
would need to check or balance the longer life and any warranties offered by
the lubricant manufacturer with the possible loss of equipment manufacturer
warranties by not following its schedule. Many car and engine manufacturers

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 35


support extended drain intervals, but request extended drain interval certified
oil used in that case; and sometimes a special oil filter. Example: In older
Mercedes-Benz engines and in truck engines one can use engine oil MB
228.1 for basic drain interval. Engine oils conforming to higher specification
MB 228.3 may be used twice as long, oil of MB 228.5 specification 3 xs
longer. Note that the oil drain interval is valid for new engine with fuel
conforming car manufacturer specification. When using lower grade fuel or
worn engine the oil change interval has to shorten accordingly. In general
oils approved for extended use are of higher specification and reduce wear.
In the industrial market place the longevity is generally measured in time
units and the lubricant marketer can suffer large financial penalties if their
claims are not substantiated.

• Efficiency:

The lubricant marketer claims improved equipment efficiency


when compared to rival products or technologies, the claim is usually valid
when comparing lubricant of higher specification with previous grade.
Typically the efficiency is proved by showing a reduction in energy costs to
operate the system. Guaranteeing improved efficiency is the goal of some oil
test specifications such as API CI-4 Plus for diesel engines. Some car/engine
manufacturers also specifically request certain higher efficiency level for
lubricants for extended drain intervals.

• Operational tolerance:

The lubricant is claimed to cope with specific operational


environment needs. Some common environments include dry, wet, cold, hot,
fire risk, high load, high or low speed, chemical compatibility, atmospheric
compatibility, pressure or vacuum and various combinations. The usual
thermal characteristics are outlined with SAE viscosity given for 100°C, like
SAE 30, SAE 40. For low temperature viscosity the SAE xxW mark is used.
Both markings can be combined together to form a SAE 0W-60 for example.
Viscosity index (VI) marks viscosity change with temperature, with higher
VI numbers being more temperature stable.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 36


• Economy:

The marketer offers a lubricant at a lower cost than rivals either in


the same grade or a similar one that will fill the purpose for lesser price.
(Stationary installations with short drain intervals.) Alternative may be
offering a more expensive lubricant and promise return in lower wear,
specific fuel consumption or longer drain intervals. (Expensive machinery,
un-affordable downtimes.)

• Environment friendly:

The lubricant is said to be environmentally friendly. Typically this


is supported by qualifying statements or conformance to generally accepted
approvals. Several organizations, typically government sponsored, exist
globally to qualify and approve such lubricants by evaluating their potential
for environmental harm. Typically, the lubricant manufacturer is allowed to
indicate such approval by showing some special mark. Examples include the
German “Blue Angel”, European “Daisy” Eco label, Global Eco-Label
“GEN mark”, Nordic, “White Swan”, Japanese “Earth friendly mark”; USA
“Green Seal”, Canadian “Environmental Choice”, Chinese “Huan”,
Singapore “Green Label” and the French “NF Environment mark”.

• Composition:

The marketer claims novel composition of the lubricant which


improves some tangible performance over its rivals. Typically the
technology is protected via formal patents or other intellectual property
protection mechanism to prevent rivals from copying. Lot of claims in this
area are simple marketing buzzwords, since most of them are related to a
manufacturer specific process naming (which achieves similar results than
other ones) but the competition is prohibited from using a trademark.

• Quality:

The marketer claims broad superior quality of its lubricant with no


factual evidence. The quality is “proven” by references to famous brand,
sporting figure, racing team, some professional endorsement or some similar
subjective claim. All motor oil labels wear mark similar to "of outstanding
quality" or "quality additives", the actual comparative evidence is always
lacking.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 37


Disposal and environmental issues

It is estimated that 40% of all lubricants are released into the


environment. Disposal: Recycling, burning, landfill and discharge into water
may achieve disposal of used lubricant. There are typically strict regulations
in most countries regarding disposal in landfill and discharge into water as
even small amount of lubricant can contaminate a large amount of water.
Most regulations permit a threshold level of lubricant that may be present in
waste streams and companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually
in treating their waste waters to get to acceptable levels. Burning the
lubricant as fuel, typically to generate electricity is also governed by
regulations mainly on account of the relatively high level of additives
present. Burning generates both airborne pollutants and ash rich in toxic
materials, mainly heavy metal compounds. Thus lubricant burning takes
place in specialized facilities that have incorporated special scrubbers to
remove airborne pollutants and have access to landfill sites with permits to
handle the toxic ash. Unfortunately, most lubricant that ends up directly in
the environment is due to general public discharging it onto the ground, into
drains and directly into landfills as trash. Other direct contamination sources
include runoff from roadways, accidental spillages, natural or man-made
disasters and pipeline leakages. Improvement in filtration technologies and
processes has now made recycling a viable option (with rising price of base
stock and crude oil). Typically various filtration systems remove particulates,
additives and oxidation products and recover the base oil. The oil may get
refined during the process. This base oil is then treated much the same as
virgin base oil however there is considerable reluctance to use recycled oils
as they are generally considered inferior. Base stock fractionally vacuum
distilled from used lubricants has superior properties to all natural oils, but
cost effectiveness depends on many factors. Used lubricant may also be used
as refinery feedstock to become part of crude oil. Again there is considerable
reluctance to this use as the additives, soot and wear metals will seriously
poison/deactivate the critical catalysts in the process. Cost prohibits carrying
out both filtration (soot, additives removal) and re-refining (distilling,
isomerisation, hydrocrack, etc.) however the primary hindrance to recycling
still remains the collection of fluids as refineries need continuous supply in
amounts measured in cisterns, rail tanks. Occasionally, unused lubricant
requires disposal. The best course of action in such situations is to return it to
the manufacturer where it can be processed as a part of fresh batches.
Environment: Lubricants both fresh and used can cause considerable damage
to the environment mainly due to their high potential of serious water

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 38


pollution. Further the additives typically contained in lubricant can be toxic
to flora and fauna. In used fluids the oxidation products can be toxic as well.
Lubricant persistence in the environment largely depends upon the base
fluid, however if very toxic additives are used they may negatively affect the
persistence. Lanolin lubricants are non-toxic making them the environmental
alternative which is safe for both users and the environment.

Advantages of Relstar Ultra 15W40

• Engine Durability:
1. Improved viscosity control of soot-laden oil
2. Shorter oiling times to critical areas during start-up at low
temperature
3. Extra safety in crosshead wear control
4. Enhanced bearing protection
5. Longer seal life

• Longer Drain Interval


 protection Greater oxidation stability at higher oil
temperatures
 Better oil consumption
 Improved against premature oil filter exhaustion

• 4 stroke engine systems


• Fuel system- Supply clean fuel
• Air system- Supply clean air for combustion
• Lubrication system- Lubricate all moving components
• Cooling system- Take away heat to prevent mechanical breakdown

• Lubricant performance specifications across the world are influenced


by 3 bodies and OEMs
o API- American Petroleum Institute
o ACEA- Association of Constructer European Automobile
o JASO-Japan Automobile Standards Organization
o Others-OEM specifications Mercedes Benz, Cummins, Mack,
Volvo et

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 39


• Cooled EGR

o EGR Lowers O2 and Reduces Peak Temperatures and


Pressures
o EGR Gasses Are Cooled to Improve Volumetric Efficiency
o Result Is Lower NO2 Emissions

• Cooled EGR Impact on Lubricant

• Increased Corrosion
o Cooled EGR leads to condensation and formation of higher
acid levels.
• Increased Soot
o Increased levels of soot due to EGR
• Increased Engine Temperatures
o Engine coolant also used for EGR cooler

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 40


Competitors

There are many competitors are their to lubricants in the market.


And also competition becomes very much between them. Each are having
their own strategies and promotional activities for existence of their product
in the competitive market place. And also all are advertise their product
effectively by advertisement media in their also they will use different
strategies. The competitors are listed as below.
• Castrol
• Gulf
• Servo
• Veedol
• Pennzoil
• Lalghoda
• Elf
• Ipol
• Volvo line

Among above competitors castrol and gulf are the major players
and these players are already set up in the customer mind. Now they are
acquired most of the lubricant market.

Castrol

Castrol India Limited is a Public Limited Company with 70.92% of


the equity held by Castrol Limited UK (part of BP Group). In 2003 the
company's turnover was Rs.1360.51 crores and Profit after Tax was Rs.
137.38 crores. From a minor oil company, with a share of about 6% in 1991,
Castrol India has grown to become the second largest lubricant company in
India with a market share of around 22%.Castrol India manufactures and
markets a range of automotive and industrial lubricants. It markets its
automotive lubricants under two brands - Castrol and BP. The company has
leadership positions in most of the segments in which it operates including
passenger car engine oils, premium 2-stroke and 4-stroke oils and multigrade
diesel engine oils. Castrol India has the largest manufacturing and marketing
network amongst the lubricant companies in India. The company has 5

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 41


manufacturing Plants across the country, including a state-of-the-art plant in
Silvassa.The company reaches its consumers through a distribution network
of 270 distributors, servicing over 70,000.retail outlets.Castrol India has
clearly demonstrated its commitment to Indian consumers for over 80 years,
by offering its international range of high performance products backed by
the highest level of customer service. The company has managed to gain
sustainable competitive advantage through:

 Distinctiveness driven by continuous innovation in all areas of business


 Winning culture and a desire to excel Strong meaningful relationships with
all stakeholders

Castrol produce oils for the whole arena of automotive lubrication,


including motorcycle 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines, car petrol and diesel
engines, an extensive range of manual and automatic transmission fluids,
chain lubricants and waxes, coolants, suspension fluids, brake fluids,
greases, cleaners and maintenance products.

Castrol also produce products for agricultural machinery, plant,


general industry and marine engineering uses.

Castrol products were voted best/most trusted products in Switzerland

Gulf

GOI continues to sell Gulf-branded lubricants worldwide through a


network of country subsidiary companies. Some of these subsidiaries
franchise use of the Gulf brand to local independent petroleum retailers
("affiliates"). Hence, Gulf-branded products and filling stations can still be
found in many countries.

Several former GOC subsidiaries were sold to local owners (e.g.


Gulf Oil India to a partnership including GOI, Ashok Leyland and the
Hinduja group) who continue to use the Gulf name and insignia. Gulf Oil
India (GOIn) has raised the market profile of the Gulf brand in recent years.
It has introduced the whole range of Gulf international products into South
Asia through toll blending arrangements. In 1995, GOIn set up its first
blending plant at Silvassa (with technical assistance from GOI) to produce
Gulf-branded lubricants locally. These local lubricants are produced to Gulf
specifications and sell at a premium to the products of wholly-local
competitors. In 2002, GOIn merged with the explosives manufacturer IDL to

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 42


form Gulf Oil Corporation Ltd, an Indian Company described as a member
of the Hinduja Group. The direct GOI interest in this company is limited to
20 percent of GOCL's equity held by Gulf Oil International (Mauritius) Inc.
GOCL claims to have gained a six-percent share of the Indian automotive
lubricant market and a three-percent share of the industrial market. GOCL
exports to South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia,
the Philippines, and Taiwan. It also provides Gulf product licensing and
technical support to local affiliates in the region including a major
manufacturing operation in China.

GOI still produces and sells a wide range of branded oil based
products including lubricants and greases of all kinds. These include
products for a variety of applications ranging from metal working oils to
refrigeration oils. Car engine oils include the Gulf Formula, Gulf MAX, and
Gulf TEC ranges. Heavy duty diesel engine lubricants include the Gulf
Supreme and Gulf Super fleet ranges. The sale of lubricants is one area
where product specification and quality assurance are vital elements.
Therefore, brand differentiation remains a feature of the marketplace. Gulf's
product catalog includes a well-developed portfolio of 400 distinctive
products.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 43


Methodology

Data Source:
Data Sources are classified into:
1) Primary Data Source
2) Secondary Data Sources

1) Primary Data Sources:


Primary data is collected by direct interview with shoppers with the
help of Questionnaire.

2) Secondary Data Sources:


Classified into Internal Secondary Data and External Secondary Data.
i) Internal Secondary Data: Internal source of data represents the data
this is already available with the company.
Product profile, Information relating to plant locations etc.

ii) External Secondary Data: External sources of data include all


external information needed for the study.
News papers, Business Magazines, Web sites are some important
sources of information, which are used in this project work.

Sampling Process

Sample size - 86
Area covered - Bagalkot district
Duration - Two months

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 44


PART 5

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 45


MOST SOLD BRAND

Brands servo castrol Veedol Gulf Elf Volvo Pennzoi lalghoda Ipol others
line l
Sales 11 27 5 24 0 0 6 4 2 7
in no
of
shops
Sales 13 31 6 28 0 0 7 5 2 8
in %

MOST SOLD BRAND

2%
5% 8% servo
13%
7% castrol
veedol
0%
gulf
0% elf

31% volvoline
pennzoil
lalghoda
28%
ipol
6% others

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 46


ANALYSIS:

From this survey it was found that amongst 86 respondents,


• 31% respondents are told as castrol is the most sold brand in our
shop.
• 28% respondents are considered as Gulf is the most sold brand
• 13% respondents are told as servo lubricant oil is sales more in our
shop.
• 7% respondents Pennzoil
• 6% respondents veedol
• 5% respondents lalghoda
• 2% respondents ipol
• 8% respondents other brands
This indicates that in whole Bagalkot district castrol is the most sold
brand. Maximum numbers of people are using this brand.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 47


QUANTITY OF OIL SOLD BY EACH BRAND MONTHLY

Bran servo castrol Veedol Gulf Elf Volvo Penn lalghoda Ipol others
ds line zoil
Sales 5525 7992 3830 8811 965 1245 1957 1917 2495 3050
in
liters
Sales 15 21 10 23 3 3 5 5 7 8
in %

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 48


QUANTITY OF OIL SOLD BY EACH BRAND MONTHLY

25

20
QUANTITY IN %

15
sales in %
10

il
o

l
lf
l

rs
da

o
el
ro

do

zo
rv

gu

lin

ip

he
st

ho
e
se

nn
o
ca

ve

ot
lv

lg
pe
vo

la
BRANDS

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey it was found that amongst 86 respondents


taking quantity as consideration
23% of Gulf lubricant oil sold from 86 respondents in Bagalkot
district. That means 8811 liters of oil sold by them monthly.
• 21% of castrol oil is sold monthly that means 7992 liters.
• 15% of servo oil sales monthly 5525 liters.
• 10% of veedol oil sales monthly 3830 liters.
• 7% of ipol oil sales monthly 2495 liters..
• 5% of Pennzoil & lalghoda oil sales monthly that mean 1957&1917
liters.
• 3% of elf & Volvo line oil is sold monthly that means 1245 & 965
liters.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 49


• 8% of other brands that means 3050 liters.

MAJOR CUSTOMERS

Two Thee Four


customers Wheeler Wheeler Wheeler H.C.W All Type
in % 12 6 7 73 2

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 50


MAJOR CUSTOMER

2% 12%

6%
Two Wheeler
7% Thee Wheeler
Four Wheeler
H.C.W
All Type
73%

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey it was found that amongst 86 Respondents.


• 73% of customers are heavy commercial vehicles like truck, tractor,
JCB, Hitachi, these are the major players for lubricants.
• 12% of customers are two wheelers.
• 7% of customers are four wheelers like car, zeep, etc.
• 6% of customers are three wheelers like tumtum, riksa etc.
• 2% of customers are all type.
From this major customers for lubricants are heavy commercial
vehicles.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 51


INFLUENCY OF SHOPPERS ON CUSTOMERS PURCHASE

Influence Yes No
no of shoppers
in% 31 69

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 52


INFLUENCY OF SHOPPERS ON CUSTOMERS PURCHASE

80
69
NO OF SHOPPERS IN

70
PERCENTAGE

60
50
Series1
40 31
Series2
30
20
10
0
Yes No
INFLUENCE

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 69% of shoppers are not influence to the customers purchase.
Customers which brand wants that brand only they will give to them.
They cannot tell as like you can purchase this brand, that brand.
• 31% of shoppers are influence to the customers purchase. In which
brand they get more margin they influence more that brand.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 53


INFLUENCY OF MECHANICS ON CUSTOMERS PURCHASE

Influence Yes No
no of
mechanics in% 84 16

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 54


INFLUENCY OF MECHANIC ON CUSTOMERS PURCHASE

90 84
80
NO OF MECHANICS IN

70
PERCENTAGE

60
50
Series1
40
30
20 16
10
0
Yes No
INFLUENCE

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 84% of shoppers are told as mechanic influence more than of us. His
influence plays very much important role in market place. Most of the
customers are ask mechanic about purchase of particular brand while
purchasing the lubricant oil. Which brand he told that brand will be
purchased by customers.
• 31% of shoppers told as no one can influence the customers purchase.
Customers themselves only purchase a particular brand on the basis of
their mind set. Most of the customers are keeping single brand from
many years so that they can use that brand only.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 55


CUSTOMERS PREFERENCE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE

Qualit
Factors y Price Brand All
Customer
s
preference
in % 12 31 20 37

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 56


CUSTOMERS PREFERENCE AT THE TIME OFPURCHAGE

40 37
CUSTOMERS PREFERENCE 35 31
IN PERCENTAGE 30
25
20
20 Series1
15 12
10
5
0
Quality Price Brand All
FACTORS

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 31% of customers are considered more on price while purchasing the
lubricant products. Most of the customers will purchase low priced
lubricants with quality & they expect good quality lubricant within
low price.
• 20%of customers are considered brand name only while purchasing
the lubricant. Now castrol & gulf are having very good name in the
market so customers purchase more these brands.
• 12% of customers are considered Quality. If the product quality is
good then customers not consider above factors, they will directly
purchase with consideration of quality only.
• 37% of customers are considered all above factors.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 57


SHOPPERS PREFERENCE WHILE SELLING THE PRODUCT

Customer
Factors Margin satisfaction Both
in % 12 70 19

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 58


SHOPPERS PREFERENCE WHILE SELLING THE
PRODUCT

80 70
70
PERCENTAGE

60
SHOPPERS IN

50
40 Series1
30 19
20 12
10
0
Margin Customer Both
satisfaction
FACTORS

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 70% of shoppers are considered more on customer’s satisfaction while
selling the lubricant products. They not much consider on margin,
they more concentrate on customer satisfaction.
• 12%of shoppers are more concentrate on margin. In which brand they
get more margin they keep that brand much in their shop.
• 19% shoppers are considered both customer satisfaction as well as
margin. According to them product should have good margin with
good quality then only we can ready to sale.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 59


READY TO SELL ANY NEW COMPANIES LUBRICANT OIL

Ready to sell Yes No


No of shoppers
in % 14 86

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 60


READY TO SELL ANY NEW COMPANIES LUBRICANT OIL

100
86
80

60
NO OF SHOPPERS IN
PERCENTAGE

Series1
40

20 14

0
Yes No
READY TO SELL

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 86% of shoppers are directly not ready to sell newly entering
lubricants. First they will see the market situation of that product. If
the product position is good in the market then they will ready to sale
otherwise not.
• 14% of shoppers are directly ready to sell newly entering lubricants.
Shoppers told as once we will test that new product along with our
daily selling product. Almost These peoples are keeping more
varieties in their shops.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 61


AWARENESS ABOUT RELSTAR

Awareness Yes No
in % 6 94

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 62


AWARENESS ABOUT RELSTAR LUBRICANT

6%

Yes
No

94%

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 94% of shoppers are totally unaware about newly coming up of
reliance lubricant product relstar. Awareness about this new product is
very much less in the Bagalkot district.
• 6% of shoppers are aware about newly coming up of reliance lubricant
product relstar. Awareness about this new product is very much less in
Bagalkot district.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 63


READY TO SELL RELSTAR A RELIENCE LUBRICANT PRODUCT

Ready to sell Yes No

in % 78 22

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 64


READY TO SELL RELSTAR NOVA A RELIENCE LUBRICANT
PRODUCT

22%

Yes
No

78%

ANALYSIS:

According to our survey out of 86 respondents


• 78% of shoppers are ready to sell newly entering reliance lubricant
product relstar. These respondents are told as we are ready to sell your
new product but first we will see the market situation of that product.
If the product position is good in the market then we will ready to sell.
• 22% of shoppers are not ready to sell newly entering reliance lubricant
product relstar. Because these respondents are not ready to keep more
varieties. They will restrict only few brands so that they sale that
brand only.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 65


PART 6

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 66


FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION AND
CONCLUSION

Findings

From this survey it was found that amongst 86 respondents,


 31% respondents are told as castrol is the most sold brand in our shop.
 Taking quantity as consideration Gulf has the highest sales i.e. 23% of
Gulf lubricant oil sold from 86 respondents in Bagalkot district. That
means 8811 liters of oil sold by them monthly
 73% of customers are heavy commercial vehicles like truck, tractor,
JCB, Hitachi, these are the major players for lubricants.
 31% of shoppers are influence to the customers purchase. In which
brand they get more margin they influence more that brand.
 84% of shoppers are told as mechanic influence more than of us. His
influence plays very much important role in market place. Most of the

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 67


customers are ask mechanic about purchase of particular brand while
purchasing the lubricant oil. Which brand he told that brand will be
purchased by customers.
 Most of the customers are price sensitive so that 31% of customers are
concentrating more on price while purchasing the lubricant products.
Most of the customers will purchase low priced lubricants with quality
& they expect good quality lubricant within low price.
 20%of customers are considered brand name only while purchasing

the lubricant. Now castrol & gulf are having very good name in the
market so customers purchase is more of these brands.
 12% of customers are considered Quality. If the product quality is
good then customers not consider above factors, they will directly
purchase with consideration of quality only.
 37% of customers are considered all above three factors.

 70% of shoppers are considered more on customer’s satisfaction while


selling the lubricant products. They not much consider on margin,
they more concentrate on customer satisfaction.
 86% of shoppers are directly not ready to sell newly entering
lubricants. First they will see the market situation of that product. If
the product position is good in the market then they will ready to sale
otherwise not.
 94% of shoppers are totally unaware about newly coming up of
reliance lubricant product relstar nova. Awareness about this new
product is very much less in the Bagalkot district.
 78% of shoppers are ready to sell newly entering reliance lubricant
product relstar nova. These respondents are told as we are ready to sell

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 68


your new product but first we will see the market situation of that
product. If the product position is good in the market then we will
ready to sell.

Recommendations

 Awareness about Relstar lubricant product is very much less in

Bagalkot district. So better to concentrate more on advertisement of


this new lubricant.

 Mechanic influence more on customers purchase so that company


should attracts him by giving some gifts, coupons, and other different
facilities. recently in Jamakhandi ipol distributor given some gifts and
party to the mechanics from this now the mechanics are influencing
the ipol product and sales becomes also more now in their.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 69


 In Bagalkot district customers are very price sensitive so that your
newly coming product price should be reasonable.

 Most of the shoppers are wants credit facility to sale your new

product. So for that you should provide the credit facility to them. It
will help to acquire more market.

 With lubricants becoming a fast moving consumer goods and the


brand preference of the consumers witnessing a change, brand image
plays a key role in affecting the consumer’s decision to buy a
lubricant. In a recent study by Frost & Sullivan, it was found that
vehicles owners’ decision to buy a certain lubricant is affected by a
garage mechanic, retail storeowner, or the advertisements. Hence, it
becomes important to have a good brand name in the market, which
can affect the customer’s decision to buy a certain brand.

 With increasing number of players in the market, it is vital for the


companies to reach a wider segment of customers. The lubricants
market in India is very highly fragmented and complex. Public limited
companies selling primarily through petrol pumps manage to achieve
a deeper penetration. Most of the MNC’s have tied up with oil majors
to market their brands like Castrol with Escorts, Tata BP with Telco.
This will help the private companies to establish a wider access, brand
awareness, as well as preference.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 70


 Private companies mostly sell their products through stockiest,
dealers, distributors, mechanics, and retail stores. Maximum sales are
achieved through mechanics and retail stores. Margins and discount
schemes offered to the storeowners and mechanics prompt them to sell
and promote a particular brand.

 The transformation from the administered pricing mechanism to free


pricing has increased the importance of providing cost effective
product to the users. Thus product costing and competitive pricing are
key factors affecting the market.

 In the recent past, the Indian lubricant market has witnessed a phase of
consolidation. Multinationals with better technology, brand name and
finances have the power to launch themselves on their own in the
market. However, with increasing number of competitors it is not
possible for every one to carve a nich in the market. This sector has
witnessed considerable amount of mergers and acquisitions. British
Petroleum’s not so recent acquisition of Castrol is one example. The
Indian lubes market is a combative market place and lubricant
companies find themselves fighting a tough battle for survival. In the
OE sector also lubricant manufacturing, companies are entering into
collaborations with vehicle manufactures. Martin Udyog, Hyundai
Motors, Hindustan Motors, TAFE, Toyota, and Skoda have entered
into collaboration with IOC and Castrol for some of their models.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 71


 In the future, growth in the automotive lubricants industry will largely
depend on the overall performance of the economy. In the past one
and a half years, the scenario has improved with higher sales of
commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. However, in the future volume
growth will be affected because of use of better quality, long drain
lubes. This will increase the replacement cycle for lubes. In the shorter
term, one will witness intense competition in a slow growing market
marked by a consolidation activity, which has the potential to change
the face of the lubricant industry. Given the rising competition,
success of a product would largely depend how well it is branded and
distributed.

Conclusion

From the survey analysis it was found that in Bagalkot district


lubricant oil market is more so that in this regions oil sales is more because
of most of the area is covered by industries in Bagalkot district.perticularly
Ilkal,Mudhol,Jamakhandi these areas covered by more industries so that here
oil sales is more than the other regions.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 72


Gulf is the major player in Bagalkot district most of the customers
are using this brand followed by castrol and it set up in the customer mind
from few previous years.
Major customers are heavy commercial vehicles like truck, tractor,
JCB, Hitachi, etc.these vehicles are consumes more lubricant oil than the
other vehicles.
Mechanic influence more than the shoppers to the customers
purchases of lubricant oil. His influence plays very much important role in
market place. Most of the customers are ask mechanic about purchase of
particular brand while purchasing the lubricant oil. Which brand he told that
brand will be purchased by customers.
Most of the customers are price sensitive so that they concentrating
more on price while purchasing the lubricant products. So that customers
will purchase low priced lubricants with quality & they expect good quality
lubricant within low price
Shoppers are considered more on customer’s satisfaction while
selling the lubricant products. They not much consider on margin, they more
concentrate on customer satisfaction
Awareness about newly coming up of reliance lubricant product is
very much less in Bagalkot district only few respondents are aware of this
product.
Most of the respondents are ready to sell the newly entering lubricant
product of reliance petro marketing Ltd after seeing the market condition of
that product. And also few respondents are wants coupons, discounts credit
facility, and they told as if these facilities are available to your newly
entering lubricant then only we are ready to sale your product otherwise not.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 73


I

PART 7

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 74


BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ANNEXURE

Bibliography

Text Books

1. Marketing Management: Kotler and Keller


2. Marketing Research : Aaker,Kumar and Day

News Papers & Magazines

1. Business Line
2. Business Standards

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 75


3. Business India
4. Business world

Web Sites
1. www.google.com

2. www.RIL.com

3. www.reportbuyer.com

4. www.wickepedia.com

5. www.indianfoline.com

Questionnaire

Dear respondent.
I am Shankreppa.S.Atalatti M.B.A. IInd sem. Student of Kousali
Institute of Management Studies, Dharwad. As a curricular part of this
course I am undertaking a project to determine the “potential market for
relstar nova lubricant a reliance product in Bagalkot district”. This is
sincerely meant for academic purpose. The information which is provided by
you will be kept strictly confidential & used only for academic purpose.

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 76


NAME:

ADDRESS: __________________________________________

__________________________________________

PHONE NO: __________________________________________

1) Which Brands do you sell?


Castrol Veedol Pennzoil Lal Ghoda Valvoline

Elf Gulf Servo Others _______________

2) Which Brand is sold most?

___________________________________________

3) Quantity of oil sold under each brand in liters per month

Castrol Veedol Pennzoil LalGhoda Valvoline Gulf Elf Servo Others

4) Who are your customer’s?

Two Wheeler Three Wheeler

Four wheeler Heavy Commercial Vehicle

5) Who are Your Major customers?

____________________________________________

6) Distributor from whom you Purchase?

Name and address ______________________________

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 77


_______________________________

7) Do you influence customers Purchases?


Yes No

8) According to you who influence more on customers purchases?

_________________________________________________

9) What do customers prefer at the time of purchases?

Quality Price Brand

10) On which factor do you concentrate more while selling the product?

________________________________________________

11) Are you ready to sell any new Companies Lubricant Oil?
Yes No

12) Do you know that Reliance is coming up with new Lubricant Oil under
the Brand Name “Relstar”

Yes No
If yes
Mention the source from which you came to know?

______________________________________________________

14) Are you Ready to sell Reliance Lubricant Oil “Relstar”?

Yes , No

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 78


If no state reason ________________________________

THANK YOU

KOUSALI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES DHARWAWAD 79

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