Shell, Reliance tie up for car lubricants

Shell India Markets Pvt. Ltd. is tying up with Reliance Industries Ltd. to sell its line of automobile lubricants in India. It may also develop lubricants for Bajaj Auto Ltd.’s small, low-cost car scheduled for mass production in late 2010, the company said. Via its global tie-up with Nissan Motor Co., its products will most likely be used by in the small car jointly developed by Bajaj, Nissan and Renault SA. Shell will push through with its projects despite low sales of its lubricants in the country in the last quarter of 2008, when its domestic sales went down 15%. Shell Lubricants India has 7 to 8% market share and a turnover of Rs10 billion (US$200.6 million). (March 19/23, 2009)