Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to explore long-term cooperation in advanced industrial lubricant technologies, specialty fluid solutions and related applications in India.
The agreement, signed between LANXESS India Pvt Ltd and BPCL, establishes a non-exclusive framework for evaluating technical and commercial opportunities, with a focus on developing high-performance lubricant solutions, securing OEM approvals, strengthening product localization and addressing the evolving requirements of India’s industrial sector.
The proposed collaboration will cover the development, evaluation, qualification and commercialization of advanced industrial lubricants, additive technologies and specialty products. Key areas of interest include bearing and circulating oils, hydraulic fluids, turbine oils, refrigeration lubricants, rust preventive oils, specialty greases, industrial additive packages and immersion cooling fluids for data centres. The companies will also explore environmentally acceptable lubricants and solutions for emerging industrial applications.
The partnership seeks to leverage LANXESS’s global expertise in lubricant additives, formulation capabilities and established OEM relationships alongside BPCL’s domestic market presence, base oil portfolio, manufacturing infrastructure and extensive customer network. Joint technical evaluations, field trials, OEM engagement, knowledge exchange and product localization are among the proposed areas of cooperation, subject to applicable approvals and definitive agreements.
Beyond conventional industrial applications, the two companies will assess opportunities in next-generation and sustainable technologies, including bio-based lubricants, electric vehicle fluids, hydrogen economy applications, specialty refrigeration fluids, personal care ingredients and immersion cooling solutions. The latter is gaining relevance amid the growing demand for digital infrastructure and data centres.
“Together with BPCL, we look forward to bringing localized, high-performance lubricant solutions closer to our customers in India and supporting their growth with greater speed and reliability,” said Karam Faddoul, Head of Sales IMEA, Business Unit Lubricant Additives, LANXESS.
” This MoU represents an important step in strengthening collaboration between LANXESS and BPCL. By combining our global technology platform, formulation expertise and OEM engagement capabilities with BPCL’s manufacturing strength and market presence, we aim to accelerate the development and commercialization of high-performance lubricant solutions that address the evolving needs of Indian industry,” said Neelanjan Banerjee, Senior Vice President and Global Head of the Business Unit Lubricant Additives, LANXESS.
Highlighting the research and development dimension of the partnership, Kannan S, Business Head, BPCL, said, “This collaboration between LANXESS and BPCL’s Lubes R&D represents an important step towards advancing lubricant technologies through joint research, innovation and development. By bringing together LANXESS’s global expertise in lubricant additives and formulation technologies with BPCL Lubes R&D’s application knowledge, technical capabilities and understanding of Indian customer requirements, we aim to jointly develop solutions that address both current industry needs and emerging technological challenges. This complementary partnership will strengthen our respective capabilities, accelerate technology development and enable us to deliver differentiated, high-performance and future-ready lubricant solutions for evolving industrial applications,”