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Industry · Automotive Lubricants · Engine Oil · Gear Oil · ATF · Grease · Custom R&D

Lubricant & Grease Formulation
for the Automotive Industry

Independent R&D for the full automotive oil and grease basket — passenger-car engine oils 5W-30, 10W-30, 15W-40 and 20W-50 to API SN/SP and ACEA A3/B4; commercial-vehicle 15W-40 and 20W-50 to API CI-4/CK-4; gear oils SAE 80W-90 and 85W-140 in GL-4 and GL-5; automatic and CVT transmission fluids; DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids; and the full chassis-grease range including LiX wheel-hub NLGI 2, CaSX chassis NLGI 3 and polyurea for sealed-for-life joints. Designed for the BS-VI low-SAPS reality and the Indian climate, blended at your plant or ours.

14+
Automotive SKU Families
BS-VI
Low-SAPS Ready
API SP
Current Petrol Category
ACEA A3/B4
Europe + GCC Export
Lubricants & Greases We Formulate

The Full Automotive
Lubricant & Grease Basket

ENGINE OIL · PETROL
5W-30, 10W-30 · API SN/SP
Low-SAPS API SP formulations for BS-VI petrol cars — Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra, Kia, Honda, Toyota. Group II Plus + Group III base oil blend, OCP viscosity-index improver, low-ash detergent. Sulphated ash below 0.8%, phosphorus below 800 ppm. JASO MA-2 compatible for 2-wheelers when required.
Passenger Car · BS-VI
ENGINE OIL · DIESEL
15W-40, 20W-50 · API CI-4/CK-4
Heavy-duty diesel for Tata, Ashok Leyland, Eicher, BharatBenz, Mahindra LCVs and tractors. CI-4 for older fleets, CK-4 for BS-VI/CV-VI emission systems with DPF and SCR. High-TBN over-based calcium/magnesium detergent, dispersant-VI booster, BIS IS 13656 conformance.
Commercial Vehicle
ENGINE OIL · 2-STROKE
JASO FC/FD · 2T Premix & Auto-Lube
For Bajaj Auto auto-rickshaws, scooters, mopeds and small-engine OEM supply. Low-smoke ester-mineral blend, low-ash, biodegradability adjusted to JASO FD. Solvent diluent for clean injection through Mikuni-style metering pumps.
2W & 3W
GEAR OIL · GL-4
SAE 80W-90 · Manual Transmission
For brass-synchroniser manual gearboxes — Maruti, Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra. Mild sulphur-phosphorus EP (1.5 to 2.5% active S) to protect the yellow-metal synchronisers. Foam-free even at high-rpm idling. BIS IS 1118 Grade EP-2 compliant.
MT Gearbox
GEAR OIL · GL-5
SAE 80W-90, 85W-140 · Hypoid Diff
For hypoid rear differentials in trucks, SUVs and tractors. High-active sulphur-phosphorus EP (6 to 8% active S), corrosion inhibitor, anti-foam. Survives ASTM D7038 L-42/L-37 high-torque tests. SAE 85W-140 for heavy commercial, 80W-90 for passenger SUV.
Hypoid Rear Axle
ATF / CVT
Dexron VI / JASO 1A / CVT-Universal
Friction-modified automatic transmission fluid for slushbox AT, dual-clutch and CVT. Group III + ester base, special friction modifier, anti-shudder additive, copper passivator. Compatible with Maruti, Hyundai i-VT, Honda CVT, Toyota CVT. Foaming under 25/0 ml (ASTM D892).
AT, DCT & CVT
BRAKE FLUID
DOT 3, DOT 4 · FMVSS 116
Glycol-ether brake fluid — DOT 3 for older vehicles, DOT 4 for ABS-equipped and modern cars. Dry boiling point above 230C (DOT 4), wet boiling point above 155C. EPDM/SBR seal compatibility, low-temperature viscosity below 1500 cSt at minus 40C. Aluminium and cast-iron corrosion protected.
Hydraulic Brake
GREASE · LiX HUB
LiX NLGI 2 · Wheel Bearing
Lithium-complex Grade 2 for car and LCV wheel hubs. Dropping point 280C plus (ASTM D2265). Water washout under 5% (D1264). EP timken OK load 18 kg minimum. Operating window minus 30 to plus 180C. BIS IS 7623 compliant, NLGI GC-LB target.
Wheel Hub · CV Joint
GREASE · CaSX CHASSIS
CaSX NLGI 3 · Pin & Bush
Calcium-sulphonate-complex chassis grease for truck king-pins, leaf-spring shackles and steering linkages — very high water resistance, no separation under monsoon spray. NLGI 3 stiffness for shock loads, EP rust and corrosion protection built into the soap chemistry, no added EP needed.
Truck Chassis
What This Industry Specifically Demands

The Chemistry Constraints
Unique to Indian Automotive

BS-VI low-SAPS is non-negotiable. Every petrol car launched in India since April 2020 has a three-way catalyst plus, increasingly, a gasoline particulate filter (GPF). Every diesel above 4 tonnes runs DPF and SCR. The catalyst surface is poisoned by sulphated ash (calcium and magnesium detergent residues), phosphorus (ZDDP), and sulphur. A 1990s-style API SF formulation with 1.5% SA and 1200 ppm P would destroy a BS-VI catalyst inside 20,000 km. Modern API SN PLUS / SP formulations cap SA at 0.8%, P at 800 ppm, and S at 0.3%. We design every petrol engine oil to those caps.

The temperature window is unforgiving. A Rajasthan summer hits 48C ambient; a Ladakh winter touches minus 30C; a Mumbai monsoon submerges hub bearings in water for weeks. The same formulation must crank-start at minus 25C (cold-cranking simulator below 6600 cP for a 5W grade) and hold film at 150C oil-sump temperature on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in May. Group II Plus base oil alone cannot do this — we routinely blend Group II + Group III with a high-shear-stable OCP viscosity-index improver to hit both ends.

Adulteration resistance. The Indian aftermarket faces persistent adulteration with used oil and low-grade transformer oil. Branded engine oil must visually and analytically resist this market — viscosity at 100C tightly held, TBN above 7 even on entry-grade SKUs, and a colour and odour profile that buyers recognise. We tune our formulations to be visibly distinguishable from re-refined oils on a basic field test.

OEM warranty alignment. Every major Indian OEM — Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Mahindra, Toyota Kirloskar, Hero, Bajaj, TVS — publishes a specific oil specification for warranty service. Our engine-oil formulation service targets these OEM specs directly so the finished product can be marketed as "suitable for" the relevant OEM warranty interval.

Typical Specifications & Standards

Every Specification an
Automotive Lubricant Faces

ProductStandardIssuing BodyWhere It Applies
Petrol Engine OilAPI SN / SN PLUS / SPAPI (USA)Current global petrol category — BS-VI compliant low-SAPS
Diesel Engine OilAPI CI-4 / CJ-4 / CK-4API (USA)Heavy-duty commercial — CK-4 for BS-VI emission systems
Engine Oil · EuropeACEA A3/B4, C2, C3, E4, E6ACEA (Europe)European OEMs, GCC export, premium Indian aftermarket
Engine Oil · IndiaBIS IS 13656BISMandatory for ISI-marked engine oil in Indian retail
2-Stroke Engine OilJASO FC / FDJASO (Japan)Two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, outboard small engines
Motorcycle 4T OilJASO MA / MA-2JASO (Japan)Wet-clutch motorcycles — Hero, Bajaj, TVS, Yamaha, Honda
Gear Oil · ManualAPI GL-4 · BIS IS 1118API / BISManual gearboxes with brass synchronisers
Gear Oil · HypoidAPI GL-5 · MIL-PRF-2105EAPI / US DoDHypoid rear axle, heavy commercial and tractor diff
ATFDexron VI · Mercon LV · JASO 1AGM / Ford / JASOAutomatic transmissions across passenger and CV
Brake FluidFMVSS 116 DOT 3 / 4 / 5.1 · ISO 4925NHTSA / ISOGlycol-ether hydraulic brake fluid
Automotive GreaseBIS IS 7623 · NLGI GC-LBBIS / NLGIWheel hub, chassis and CV joint greases
Case Study

Five Grades Plus Two Greases
For a North-India Brand Launch

Completed Engagement · Automotive Range Launch
Punjab-Based Lubricant Brand — Full Automotive Range Built and BIS Certified
A Ludhiana-based lubricant company moving from re-packing to branded automotive sales needed a coherent product range across passenger car, two-wheeler and commercial vehicle — plus the wheel-hub and chassis greases to round out a complete distributor offering. The brief was five engine-oil grades (5W-30 SP, 10W-30 SP, 15W-40 CK-4, 20W-50 CI-4, 20W-40 JASO MA-2), one EP 80W-90 GL-4 gear oil, one ATF, plus LiX NLGI 2 hub grease and a CaSX NLGI 3 chassis grease.
We designed a single shared DI pack for all five engine oils — one common over-based calcium/magnesium detergent, one common dispersant, one common ZDDP, with grade-specific OCP viscosity-index improver dosing. That single decision cut warehousing complexity by 60% and let the client buy additive raw material in tanker quantity instead of drum quantity. BIS IS 13656 certification was achieved for all five engine grades on first submission. IS 7623 grease certification followed for both greases. Total programme: 5 months from kickoff to certified product.
Products Delivered
5 engine + 1 gear + 1 ATF + 2 grease = 9 SKUs
Total Timeline
5 months kickoff to certified product
Additive SKU Count
1 shared DI pack across 5 engine grades
Cost Position vs Major Brand
28% lower MRP with comparable test data
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked About
Automotive Lubricant R&D

Can the same additive package serve both 5W-30 and 15W-40 engine oils?

Yes — and we strongly recommend it. A properly designed detergent-inhibitor (DI) pack can serve a full grade ladder from 5W-30 through 20W-50 by varying only the base-oil ratio (Group II vs Group III) and the viscosity-index improver dosing. The DI carries the detergent, dispersant, ZDDP, friction modifier, antioxidant and pour-point depressant. The base oil and VII set the rheology.

This approach cuts raw-material SKU count, lets the manufacturer buy additive in IBC and drum quantities at better commercial terms, and simplifies blending-plant inventory. We routinely deliver unified DI packs across 5 engine-oil grades.

What is BS-VI low-SAPS and why does it matter?

BS-VI is the current Indian on-road emissions standard, equivalent to Euro 6. Every vehicle launched since April 2020 has after-treatment hardware — three-way catalyst, gasoline particulate filter (GPF), diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) — that is irreversibly poisoned by metallic ash, phosphorus and sulphur from the engine oil.

Low-SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus, Sulphur) formulations limit SA below 0.8%, P below 800 ppm, and S below 0.3%. API SN PLUS, API SP, ACEA C2 and ACEA C3 are the relevant low-SAPS categories. Selling an old high-SAPS API SL or SM oil into a BS-VI car shortens after-treatment life dramatically — and the customer eventually pays for a catalyst replacement.

What is the difference between GL-4 and GL-5 gear oil?

GL-4 is for manual gearboxes that have brass or bronze synchroniser rings. The active sulphur-phosphorus EP content is limited to 1.5 to 2.5% so it does not corrode the yellow-metal synchronisers. Using a GL-5 oil in a synchronised manual gearbox will chemically attack the synchroniser within a few thousand km.

GL-5 is for hypoid rear differentials — the gear geometry of a hypoid pinion-and-crown wheel generates extreme sliding pressure that mild EP cannot handle. GL-5 uses 6 to 8% active sulphur EP, which is corrosive to brass but acceptable in a differential where there is no yellow metal in the gear path.

Do you formulate ACEA-grade engine oils for export?
Yes. ACEA A3/B4, C2, C3, E4 and E6 sequences are routinely formulated for Middle East, African and European export markets. The ACEA sequences require additional bench tests over API — including Mercedes-Benz M271 high-temperature deposits, Volkswagen TDi piston cleanliness and the OM646LA test for heavy-duty. We design to ACEA limits and prepare the technical file through our regulatory compliance service.
Is LiX or polyurea the right grease for wheel hub bearings?
Lithium-complex (LiX) NLGI 2 is the workhorse for passenger-car wheel hubs — dropping point above 280C, good water resistance, broad OEM acceptance, and a manageable raw-material cost. For high-performance and EV applications where bearing speeds exceed 6000 rpm and where the grease must be dielectric, polyurea NLGI 2 with PAO base is preferred. For sealed-for-life truck hubs, calcium-sulphonate-complex is the alternative — superior water washout but higher unit cost.
Can you formulate DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluid?
Yes. DOT 3, DOT 4 and DOT 5.1 glycol-ether brake fluids are within our scope. We formulate to FMVSS 116 dry and wet boiling points (DOT 4: 230C dry / 155C wet minimum), kinematic viscosity at minus 40C below 1500 cSt, EPDM and SBR seal compatibility and corrosion protection of cast iron, aluminium, brass, steel and tinned iron. Note that DOT 5 silicone fluid is a different chemistry and is not interchangeable with glycol-ether brake fluid.
Do you supply the additives or do we?
You buy the raw materials directly from the suppliers we specify — Lubrizol, Infineum, Afton, Chevron Oronite, Evonik or any qualified Indian VII producer. We are an independent formulator and do not resell additive at a margin. The IP of the formulation is yours. This is the structural advantage of working with us versus a tied additive-house distributor.
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Tell us which automotive SKUs you need (engine, gear, ATF, brake, grease) and where you are commercially. We respond within one business day with an honest assessment, timeline and indicative cost position.