Shell India Limited, the sales and marketing arm of global petroleum major Royal Dutch Shell, is tying up with Reliance Industries to sell its line of automobile lubricants in India. These lubricants will be available with Reliance petrol pumps as and when Reliance decides to reopen them. Reliance has said that, it would open its retail outlets very soon, which were shut down a year back because of heavy financial loss.

 

Talking about the tie-up M Balachandran, Vice President (Marketing), Shell India said that, their lubricant line is going to be available with Reliance petrol pumps across the country as and when they open. Shell India believes that the market for performance lubricants is showing signs of picking up. To promote its product the company has launched a web service, Shell LubeMatch. It is to help car-owners match their cars with Shell lubricants. This requires good reach, which Reliance petrol pumps would provide.

 

Shell currently holds a 15 per cent share in the 170 crore tonne Indian lubricant market that is growing at around 2 per cent per year. In future the lubricant market in India shows good prospect with tailor-made lubricants approved by the carmaker is becoming standard practice like in European and American markets, Balachandran said.