Speaking to Team PVF, Mr. Kushal Banerjee – Head Technical Services (Lubes and Specialties), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited outlined the key aspects of advanced engine oil. He also described the importance of on-going development of lubricants to help the automotive industry reach fuel economy and emissions requirements.

Q 1 ). A lubricant is critical for getting the longest service life from your car’s engine: It lubricates the engine’s internal parts, minimizes wear, disperses heat, and helps prevent corrosion and sludge buildup. How does your product range differentiate from the competition on these fronts and deliver superior value?

Mr. Kushal Banerjee: HP Engine oil brands like Cruise and Neosynth are the most advanced engine oil blended from high quality base stocks produced by HPCL and state of the art additive technology to provide exceptional wear protection, smoother ride and of course high fuel economy in modern gasoline cars. Following are some of the key differentiators of our brands:

1). Provides unmatched performance for modern gasoline cars in both the extremes: high speed highway drive or stop and go city-driving

2). Prevents deposits and sludge buildup to keep your engine clean

3). Provides a smoother ride than never before

4). Low-volatility chemistry means no or negligible oil consumption during the service life of oil

5). Extremely good low-temperature fluidity ensures high engine protection even at cold starts

6). Longer engine oil life and more importantly longer engine life

Q 2). Apart from the rapidly expanding motor vehicle production in India, what other factors do you feel will support lubricant demand?

Mr. Kushal Banerjee: The current legislation of Bharat Stage VI along with superior engine designs by the automobile manufacturers to meet stringent demand of long drain/fuel economy and controlled emission will lead to new chemistry in manufacturing the lubricants which will primarily be of lower viscometrics having longer life and also assisting in fuel efficiency.

Even the transmission /driveline technology will see change resulting in change in driveline fluids. There will be new categories in industrial applications also like compressors/wind turbines etc. which will lead to new categories of high performance lubricants.

Q 3). Lastly, it would be great if you could let us know what excites you to be a part of the upcoming Passenger Vehicle Forum 2018?

Mr. Kushal Banerjee: Passenger Vehicle Forum is exciting as it keeps us updated on the recent trends in vehicle technology including e-mobility which keeps the lubricants manufacturers on their toes and always working on the needs to meet the increased performance demand on the lubricants.