Story of Self-Reliance in Aviation Lubricants :

AVI-OIL has a remarkable history. During the 1972 war, India faced a lot of political hurdles by original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s), certain very critical lubricants were not made available to the Indian Defence forces. The Ministry of Defence proposed a mandate to the oil companies that we should not continue to depend on foreign countries for fuel and lubricants to operate military equipment.

A brief report about feasibility of producing aero lubes in the India was made and the onus of indigenizing the lubricants for the Defence Service fell on the premier Institutes of the country namely the Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun, Defence Material Research & Development Establishment, Kanpur and the Research & Development Centre of Indian Oil Corporation at Faridabad, the last named laboratory providing the maximum impetus.

By the mid 1980s most of the lubricants required for the then inventory of the land and Sea based equipment had been indigenized and approved for regular use.

Several attempts were made to formulate the products but since the grant of such approvals was again the prerogative of the foreign agencies, their reluctance to entertain the requests from India was obvious. In 1986, the Western authorities took a policy decision not to issue the Qualification documents to the oil companies from non-NATO countries. In the scenario, the Indian Oil Corporation proposed the formation of a joint venture with a foreign partner who would provide the know-how for the products, manufacture of the base esters and assist in obtaining the approvals from the aero-engine manufacturers and aircraft design bureaux. Since the products locally produced with this technology would essentially be reblends of the existing approved grades of the foreign partner, the cost and time for approvals could be reduced drastically. The proposal was endorsed by the Defence Services and accordingly the same was submitted to the Government of India who finally approved the project in 1992.rom among the several foreign companies reviewed as potential partners, the choice fell on NYCO of France, a company devoted mainly to aviation & military lubricant business having a wide range of products for aircraft of western and erst-while Soviet origin. The company AVI-OIL India Ltd. was incorporated in 1993 as a joint venture of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. (both PSUs) and NYCO France for the indigenous products/supply of aviation and allied lubricants to the Defence Services, Civil aviation and the Industrial sector. Until the advent of AVI-OIL, such products were being imported. A wide range of products for aircraft, military and Industrial equipment are being now produced at the manufacturing facilities located at village Piyala, in District Faridabad, Haryana, 45 KM from New Delhi.

We have at access to the R&D facility of NYCO  who have devoted singnificat resources to the development of innovative and efficient synthetic esters and lubricants for use in the industrial, automotive, aviation and military sectors.

Some key milestones:

1993 : Formation of AVI-OIL India [P] Ltd.
1994 : Started marketing NYCO products
1999 : Set up synthetic lubricants blending plant
2005 : Setup Ester manufacturing plant
2006 : Started marketing indsutrial products and ester
2007 : Set up R&D Centre
2008 : Accredited with AS 9100 Rev ‘C’ and ISO 9001:2008
2009: R&D Centre recognised by DSIR
2012 : Accredited with ISO 14001:2004