Valvoline Cummins opens new manufacturing unit in India

Valvoline Cummins Limited has opened its first company-owned manufacturing facility in Ambernath near Mumbai. Valvoline has had presence in the Indian lubricant industry since 1998 but till now contract manufactured it's lubricants for the local market. The Valvoline Cummins JV is a 50:50 between Ashland Inc and Cummins India, Valvoline being Ashland's brand of products. Samuel Mitchell Jr, president of Ashland Consumer Markets, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc said that this new plant will provide more growth opportunities and give a competitive advantage.

The company has invested approximately Rs 160 crores in the new manufacturing and packaging plant that will have an initial annual production capacity of 120 million litres per year. Valvoline says that in the future, the capacity can be bumped up to 150 million litres. It is a steep growth rate from the 4.3 million units the company produced in its first year in India. Last year, Valvoline produced 77 million litres of its lubricants in the country. Now that the company's manufacturing facility is operational the current contract manufacturing facility will continue to produce Valvoline lubricants but in much smaller quantities and will hold a back-up role for the company. Current blend lines at the new plant include simultaneous measuring and blending as well as automated batch blending and oil products produced include engine, gear, hydraulic, industrial and transmission oils.