INDIANOIL MAURITIUS: Fueling Innovation in Energy
By IndianOil Mauritius Ltd
IndianOil Mauritius Ltd (IOML) has completed 2 decades of existence in Mauritius on 24th Oct 2021. Over the years IOML has positioned itself as an important player in the domestic and international market. IOML is ranked among the top 15 institutions on the island in the Top 100 list of companies with the highest turnover. With a sizeable market share in the aviation business before the confinement, the company has been the leader in this industry for many years. IOML has made inroads in the retail sector with 28 filling stations till date and having a good market share in the bunkering, consumer and lubricants sector and despite the competition. The vision of IOML is to be in every heart and in every part in Mauritius. For this to happen, IOML is consistently working to improve its retail network and to offer its customers the most enjoyable experience. Despite a few differences be it in business culture, lifestyle or market size, the support received from all the stakeholders is appreciated by IOML.
IOML is constantly innovating in terms of equipment and services at its retail outlets. Highly powerful and accurate Dispensing Units are put at the disposal of the company’s valued customers with the possibility of auto generating receipt as a method of control. Safety and Security of the staff and customers are among its main concerns, hence, adequate training and counselling are given to the staff for the proper handling of Petroleum Products. To ensure quality and quantity being supplied at each retail outlet, the laboratory department undertakes rigorous inspection at each filling station on a monthly basis. IOML has the unique advantage of being the only petroleum company in Mauritius, to have a fully equipped in house Quality Control Laboratory to continuously monitor the quality of all types of fuels. The laboratory is also ISO 9001-2008 certified and has successfully participated in ASTM inter-laboratory proficiency program. For IndianOil, quality is primordial. They are the only petroleum company in the country which has dedicated pipelines for each type of fuels which feeds into the fully-automated State of the Art Terminal.
IOML’s service stations are strategically positioned and are aimed at improving convenience by bringing energy at the customer’s doorstep. IndianOil has a longterm vision and has been warmly adopted by the island. It can be said that IOML is a full-fledged Mauritian company.
OML also markets the lubricant brand SERVO which is India’s largest selling lubricant brand with over 450 grades. SERVO range of lubricants is fast emerging as a Global Brand with wide acceptance in UAE, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Yemen, Kenya, Kuwait, Burkina Faso and other markets. SERVO has been designated as a SUPERBRAND and is India’s No 1 brand. SERVO is the right response to specific engine needs. From motorcycle engines to the most sophisticated sports vehicles, from powerful diesel trucks to agricultural tractors, from electrical energy generation turbines to the giant engines for ship propulsion; for each application, there is always a SERVO product able to ensure high-performance.
Servo Futura grades of lubricants have been developed to meet the new needs of customers and engine manufacturers with cars and vehicle driving with new technology.
Similarly, the FUTURA grades have accreditation of most car manufacturers. Over and above, the FUTURA grades not only meet the American Petroleum Institute (API) specifications, but even exceed them.
A recent introduction of IOML has been the PetroCard. The PetroCard is the fastest and easiest way to fill up the fuel tank. This card is issued in collaboration with the Mauritius Commercial Bank, the Number one bank in Mauritius. Customers can purchase products just with a single swipe and avoid the hassle of cash handling. Customers fix their own credit limit and can also purchase Servo lubes using the PetroCard. The PetroCard is available for both Individual and Corporate customers. The Petro Card helps in better management of fleet along with precise information about vehicles’ consumption, time of refueling and much more. The road show takes place every month at certain IndianOil filling station. Customers are invited to join up for an information session whereby on the spot applications for the PetroCard are also entertained. Eventually, customer making on spot application are rewarded by surprise gifts.
The parent company Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is considered The Energy of India, with its over 33,500-strong team, taking the lead in meeting India’s energy demands efficiently and effectively today, just as it has done over the last six decades and an enterprise that fuels India’s core sector for economic development. IndianOil’s business interests encompassing the entire hydrocarbon value chain- from refining, pipeline transportation and marketing, to exploration and production of crude oil and gas, petrochemicals, gas marketing, alternative energy sources and globalisation of downstream operations. As The Energy of India, IndianOil accounts for nearly half of India’s petroleum products market share, with sales of 81.027 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the year 2020-21. IndianOil has a group refining capacity of 80.55 MMTPA and over 15,000 KM of pipeline network dedicated to fuel India’s economic rise. IndianOil led the downstream PSUs in becoming fully BS-VI compliant, ensuring a seamless pan-India transition from BS-IV directly to BS-VI grade transport fuels by 16th March, 2020, a full fortnight ahead of the 1st April 2020 deadline.
IndianOil’s cross-country pipeline network facilitates crude-oil transportation to refineries and finished products to high-demand centres in an efficient, economical, and environment-friendly manner. The network has been globally benchmarked as the safest, costeffective, energy-efficient and environment friendly and stands as a firm testimony to our engineering brilliance.
As the commercial enterprise with the largest customer interface in India, IndianOil reaches precious petroleum fuels to every corner of the country through its network of over 56,000 customer touchpoints, surmounting the challenges of tough terrain, climate and accessibility. This includes 32,000+ fuel stations (petrol pumps), including Kisan Seva Kendra (KSK) outlets in rural markets, all of them fully automated for quality and quantity assurance. For the convenience of large-volume consumers like the defence services, railways, state transport undertakings, industrial, agricultural and marine sectors, IndianOil has close to 7,000 dedicated fuel pumps in operation at their doorstep to ensure timely delivery of products and efficient maintenance of inventory.
For IndianOil, all customers, bulk or retail, are equal and have the right to quality products and efficient services. With this belief, the IndianOil team reaches Indane LPG cooking gas right up to the doorsteps of households through a network of over 12,700 distributors. The Corporation is promoting LPG aggressively as a clean cooking fuel across socio-economic divides. IndianOil’s Aviation Service commands a majority market share in aviation fuel, serving national and international flag carriers, private airlines and the Indian defence services with equal efficiency.
The countrywide marketing network is backed for supplies by 118 bulk storage terminals and depots and 95 LPG bottling plants, besides 121 aviation fuel stations and 10 lube blending plants. As the ‘company of choice’ for millions of customers from diverse segments, IndianOil has also built up a portfolio of leading energy brands, including Indane LPG cooking gas, SERVO lubricants, XP100 100-Octane petrol, XtraTej, PROPEL petrochemicals, etc. Besides the corporate brand, both SERVO and Indane are over 50-year-old brands and have earned the coveted Superbrand status.
IndianOil’s sprawling R&D Centre at Faridabad, one of Asia’s finest in downstream petroleum R&D, offers competitive advantage to the Corporation through world-class technology and process solutions and innovative products. With over six decades of pioneering work in lubricants formulation, refinery processes and pipeline transportation, the Centre has over 1160 effective patents.
Over 1000 grades of lubricants developed by R&D are marketed under the super lubricant brand name “SERVO” encompassing every conceivable application for complete lubrication solutions in the automotive, industrial and marine segments. The centre further act as a solution provider to the rising demand for innovative lubricants to achieve fuel economy and energy efficiency, especially for the Indian Defense Forces, by indigenising the specialised products. We have also demonstrated our innovative prowess in development of basket of technologies, highly relevant in the emerging scenario, and their successful commercialization.
The Centre’s forte includes alternative energy programmes in bioenergy, solar energy, Hydrogen energy, H-CNG blends, synthetic fuels and shale oil. It is also focussing on cutting-edge research in nanotechnology, petrochemicals and polymers, coal gasification/ liquefaction, and gas-to-liquid technologies. The Centre is also nurturing an eco-system conducive for innovations in the domestic hydrocarbons sector through a Startup Fund.
Over the past decade, IndianOil has assiduously built its new businesses, that is, petrochemicals and natural-gas marketing, to a level where they have achieved integration with the core verticals. The Corporation’s upstream forays into Exploration and production have also yielded significant results in the form of a sizeable portfolio of oil and gas assets in India and abroad.
As one of the major players in India in natural gas, IndianOil is aggressively promoting this eco-friendly fuel among all user segments: industry-transport-homes-commercial establishments. The Corporation aspires for leadership in the R-LNG segment, and is investing/enhancing share in LNG sourcing, import terminals, cross-country gas pipelines, city gas distribution (CGD) networks and bulk supplies by road-tankers. With an ambitious agenda of covering 40 Geographical Areas (GA) on its own as well as with reputed joint venture partners, IndianOil is poised to offer piped natural gas (PNG) to households and compressed natural gas (CNG) as auto-fuel.
IOML has several projects in the pipeline which will certainly contribute to the development of the economy and reduce unemployment. Being the latest entrant in the Mauritian market has adversely affected IOML towards the positioning in the retail front and as deemed appropriate this gap has to be filled for equal competitiveness opportunities. This explains IOML’s endeavour and efforts being put in at various levels in order to complete the projects successfully.
IOML places great importance to social responsibility and have made active and generous CSR contribution to various NGO such as Link to Life, SOS Village Gandhian Basic School, APEIM, APSA, Global Rainbow Foundation among various other.
IOML has always been at the forefront to serve the country in view of the special bond, close relationship and strong ties between Mauritius and India. As an organization, IOML has never failed to play its role towards enhancing quality of life of people of Mauritius which has been well recognized and appreciated in various forums. IOML has been maintaining a history of innovation and state of the art developments in all our activities over the years.
It is noteworthy to mention that IOML has been in the front line in support of the major Ecological Crisis which occurred back in July 2020 off the shores of Pointe Désny where the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground close to the marine protected coral garden. The ship began to leak oil in the following weeks and broke apart in mid-August. Considered as the worst environmental disaster Mauritius has ever seen, IOML did not remain insensitive and moved forward to the Honourable Prime Minister and the emergency committee to work out a plan for the salvage operation. Our barge after sailing 65 nautical miles reached the site and soon after the situation was assessed by IOML top management, along with the Steering Committee lead by the Commissioner of Police, the evacuation product was successfully carried out despite the harsh weather condition.
Another major incident occurred in end 2019 whereby the petroleum products procured by the STC for the island local requirement was not according to agreed specifications and whereby a high level of Maganese was detected in the Mogas content. This led to breakdown of hundreds of vehicles. Equipped with an ISO certified laboratory in Mauritius, IOML has handled this issue with high sensitivity and ensured that every discharge from the terminal to each filling station is thoroughly tested before supply to end customers. IOML is proud to vouch that not a single case of product contamination was noted during that period.
IOML has always placed great importance to its image and reputation in Mauritius, there has never been any compromise on the visual appeal of the current setup of IOML retail network. The parent company IOCL has recently introduced the newly designed RVI for its retail filling station. The new RVI design is modern, futuristic and visually appealing. To be in line with the branding guidelines of IOCL and to seize the opportunity of the 20 years of anniversary celebration of IOML in Mauritius, it was felt appropriate to implement the new RVI design at all 28 IndianOil Filling Stations. Since its physical operation in Mauritius back in 2004, IOML filling stations have not seen major improvement in the RVI elements, except for some minor modifications, through the modernisation of the RVI, it is expected to create a renewed and feel-good factor among public in general but more importantly to produce more traffic to the business and grow employee energy.
IOML has recently started the business of Petrochemical products in Mauritius and catering to the Petrochemical demand of Mauritius through the brand PROPEL.
