Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited (GOLIL), part of the Hinduja Group, has begun celebrations marking 125 years of the global Gulf brand with plans to expand its lubricants business and develop new opportunities in mobility, industrial fluids and electric vehicle infrastructure. The company is targeting a 70% increase in manufacturing capacity to 240 million litres by March 2027. It is also investing in charging hardware, software and connectivity, while exploring opportunities in sustainable oils, data-centre cooling and other specialised fluid solutions.
The anniversary celebrations began with an event in Mumbai attended by Chairman Sanjay Hinduja, brand ambassadors Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Smriti Mandhana, along with customers, distributors and business partners. The company also launched an anniversary film titled “Born to be Behad”, featuring Dhoni, reflecting its brand platform, “Kuch Behad Kar”.
Founded in 1901, Gulf operates in more than 100 countries. GOLIL said it has grown at two to three times the Indian lubricants market’s rate over the past 15 years and is now the country’s second-largest private lubricant brand. Its expansion plans build on a distribution network across India, partnerships with more than 50 original equipment manufacturers and a global research and development centre in Chennai.
Sanjay Hinduja, Chairman of Gulf Oil International, said India had been one of the brand’s fastest-growing markets for more than 15 years. He said the company would continue to develop its lubricants business while expanding into value-added services, electric mobility and related areas.
Ravi Chawla, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Oil Lubricants India, said the anniversary marked an opportunity to set priorities for the next phase of growth. He said the company would focus on innovation, customer relationships and partnerships as it adapts to changes in mobility and industry.
As part of the celebrations, Gulf announced Generation Behad, an initiative aimed at empowering 125,000 women in mobility. The programme will focus on training and knowledge-sharing to help women pursue careers in areas such as driving and vehicle maintenance.
Smriti Mandhana launched the initiative at the Mumbai event. Aarthy Sridhar, Chief Marketing Officer of GOLIL, said the programme was intended to help women access training and employment opportunities in a sector where they remain under-represented.
GOLIL’s portfolio includes automotive and industrial lubricants, AdBlue, electric vehicle fluids and mobility solutions for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, industrial customers and OEM partners. It also has a growing presence in EV charging infrastructure through affiliates Tirex, Indra Renewables and TechPerspect, which operates under the ElectreeFi brand. The company exports to more than 25 countries and continues to develop products for changing industrial and mobility requirements. Gulf’s global portfolio includes more than 400 lubricants and associated products.
The company said its next phase would focus on expanding manufacturing, strengthening its core business and developing new products and services. Sustainability, digitalisation and last-mile customer engagement are also part of its transformation plans as it prepares for the next stage of growth.
