Gulf Oil may begin battery production in the country

Lubricant producer Gulf Oil, Tuesday said that it can start battery production in the country if they can cross the threshold sale of about 15 lakh batteries per annum.

The company launched its new range of two-wheeler batteries in the country, Gulf Pride, in the presence of cricketer Hardik Pandya who has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the business.

"We are systematically increasing our presence in the two-wheeler battery market. Our share has gone up to 1.5 per cent last fiscal in Rs 4,000 crore replacement market. We sell around 50,000 batteries per month," managing director of Gulf Oil, Ravi Chawla told reporters here.

"The growing two wheeler population in India combined with the large gap between demand and supply for quality batteries is what led us to launch two-wheeler batteries," he said.

"We are at present importing these batteries mainly from Singapore. But if we reach a threshold level of sale of say 15 lakh batteries per annum we will take a call of establishing a production unit or assembly unit here," ] Chawla said.

Asked when will the threshold level reached, he said that he expects it to be done in two years and at that time they will take a call.