Gulf Oil

What Gulf Oil does

Gulf Oil International Limited is a privately-held downstream lubricants and fuel retail company founded in 1901 and domiciled in the Cayman Islands, wholly owned by the Hinduja Group. It manufactures and markets performance lubricants across automotive (passenger car and commercial vehicle engine oils including Gulf Formula Elite, Gulf Ultrasynth, GULF MAX, Gulf Superfleet Professional), marine (Gulf Marine across 1,100+ ports), agricultural (spray oils and adjuvants), and industrial segments. Product technology centers on proprietary synthetic formulations such as ThermoShield, Tri-Guard, Clean-Flow, and Protection Plus, alongside a growing EV-fluid portfolio covering brake fluids, coolants, and driveline fluids, plus EV charging hardware delivered through the Indra partnership.

The company generates revenue through a hybrid model: direct lubricant manufacturing and sales through owned blending plants in India, UAE, China, Brazil, the Philippines, and Singapore; licensing of the Gulf brand to national fuel retail operators across 18+ countries with 1,200+ stations; distribution through independent lubricant distributors; OEM first-fill supply (notably McLaren Automotive); marine lubricant sales and technical services; EV charging hardware; and emerging lifestyle products such as Reviva Coffee. Customer segments span individual car owners, commercial fleet operators, industrial and manufacturing buyers, marine shipping, agriculture, EV owners, and licensed fuel retailers, served via a multi-channel marketing approach anchored in motorsport sponsorships with Williams F1, Trackhouse MotoGP, and McLaren Automotive.

Name

Gulf Oil

Legal name

Gulf Oil International Limited

Website

https://www.gulfoilltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Gulf Oil is a privately-held, Hinduja Group-owned lubricants and fuel retail company founded in 1901, manufacturing engine oils, marine lubricants, EV fluids, and EV charging products while licensing the Gulf brand to 1,200+ fuel stations across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lubricants and Petroleum Products

NAICS

Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing (324191)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172), Miscellaneous Products Of Petroleum & Coal (2990)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Lubricants (IMAEAMAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Offshore Lubricants (Cylinder Oils, System Oils, EALs) (EUALAJAI), Greases & Specialty Lubricants (Greases, Pastes, Chain Oils, Silicone/Fluoro) (EUALAJAJ), Fuel Additives & Lubricant Additives (IMAEAMAL), Marine Lubricants Supply & Services (Cylinder/System Oils) (TLAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Automotive engine lubricants
• Marine lubricants
• Industrial lubricants
• Fuel retail licensing
• EV thermal fluids

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Lubricants Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and marketing an extensive range of performance lubricants and associated products across diverse market segments including automotive, commercial vehicles, industrial, agricultural, and marine sectors. Revenue generated from direct product sales through distributors, licensees, and direct channels.
2. Fuel Retail Licensing: Licensing the Gulf brand to national fuel retail networks around the globe. The company has over 1,200 fuel stations across more than 18 countries. Licensees pay for the right to use the Gulf brand and operate under its standards.
3. Gulf Marine: Supply of marine lubricants to the global shipping industry across 1,100 ports worldwide. Services include technical services, oil condition monitoring, engineering consultation and shipboard advisory.
4. EV Charging: Design, development, assembly and servicing of domestic smart electric vehicle charging systems for the UK market, including home EV charging and rapid EV charging solutions.
5. Reviva Coffee: Lifestyle brand launched in 2023 offering small-batch roasted speciality coffee sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms in Latin America, with growing customer base particularly in UK and Latin America.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gulf Oil manufactures and markets performance lubricants and associated products spanning automotive engine oils, commercial vehicle oils, marine lubricants, industrial fluids, agricultural spray oils and adjuvants, and EV-specific fluids (coolants, brake fluids, driveline fluids). The company also licenses its brand to operate a global network of 1,200+ fuel retail stations and offers EV charging solutions and oil change services through Gulf Express.

Product overview

Gulf Oil is a diversified lubricants and energy company with a comprehensive product portfolio spanning automotive lubricants (passenger car engine oils including Gulf Formula Elite, Gulf Formula, Gulf Ultrasynth, GULF MAX; commercial vehicle oils including Gulf Superfleet Professional, Gulf Superfleet Supreme, Gulf Super Duty; and gear/transmission oils), marine lubricants (Gulf Marine supplying over 1,100 ports), agricultural solutions (spray oils, adjuvants, crop protection), electric vehicle products (Gulf eLEC brake fluid, EV coolants, driveline fluids, home and rapid EV charging), fuel retail (Gulf Ultera premium fuels at licensed stations), and lifestyle products (Reviva Coffee, merchandise). The company operates as a platform of interconnected product lines unified by the Gulf brand, serving automotive, commercial, marine, agricultural, and industrial segments across 100+ countries through owned blending facilities in India, UAE, China, Brazil, Philippines, and Singapore, and licensed operations worldwide. Gulf Formula Elite serves as the flagship product, being the first-fill lubricant for McLaren Automotive supercars, while the company is expanding into EV fluids and charging infrastructure as part of its diversification strategy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gulf Formula: Advanced Full Synthetic Engine Oil - sustained peak performance for modern engines
• Gulf Ultrasynth
• Gulf MAX
• Gulf Superfleet Professional
• Gulf Superfleet Supreme
• Gulf Super Duty
• Gulf Formula Elite
• Gulf Marine
• Reviva Coffee
• Gulf Ultera
• Gulf Express

Products and services

• Gulf Formula Elite Advanced full synthetic engine oil using Thermoshield Technology that forms a robust coating on critical engine parts for enhanced wear defence and optimum temperature maintenance. It is the first-fill lubricant for all McLaren Automotive supercars and hypercars.
• Gulf Formula Advanced full synthetic engine oil designed for sustained peak performance in modern compact, powerful and efficient engines. Ensures optimal operation at high temperatures, protecting from deposit and wear while preventing rapid oil deterioration.
• Gulf Ultrasynth Full synthetic engine oil featuring Wear-Guard Agents that protect engine components from wear, delivering harmonised performance and smooth driving experience for unpredictable driving conditions.
• Gulf MAX High quality engine oil featuring Engine Clean Technology that helps prevent harmful engine deposit build-up, leading to a cleaner engine that performs better for longer.
• Gulf Superfleet Professional Advanced synthetic technology heavy-duty diesel engine oil with Tri-Guard Technology that delivers reduced engine wear and deposits, neutralises engine acids, minimises corrosion, and maintains engine and oil performance for longer drain intervals.
• Gulf Superfleet Supreme Synthetic technology diesel engine oil formulated with Clean-Flow Technology that helps delay oil oxidation, ensures cleaner engines, and reduces downtime for long continuous journeys in harsh driving conditions.
• Gulf Super Duty Mineral oil for older generation engines subject to fluctuating and intense loads, formulated with Protection Plus Technology to ensure robust protection against excessive wear in challenging conditions.
• Gulf eLEC Brake Fluid Polyglycol-based brake fluid developed for optimal braking performance in electric vehicles. Contains corrosion and oxidation inhibitors, reduces moisture absorption, and delays vapor lock onset.
• EV Coolant Extended life coolant concentrate based on Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) for electric vehicles that guards against overheating, offers frost and deposit protection, and helps keep batteries at optimum temperature.
• EV Driveline Fluid Transmission fluid designed for wet/dry, single and multi-speed transmissions in rear axles and transaxles of electric vehicles, particularly where axle fluid is in direct contact with electrical components.
• Gulf Ultera Premium Fuel Premium fuel offered at Gulf fuel retail stations, positioned as a higher-quality fuel option for consumers through the licensed fuel station network.
• Gulf Marine Lubricants Global marine lubricants business that supplies marine engine oils, cylinder oils, and shipboard advisory services to the maritime transportation industry, delivering to over 1,100 ports across six continents with proprietary logistics algorithms and 95% on-time in-full delivery capability.
• Agricultural Spray Oils and Adjuvants Specialised pesticides and crop protection adjuvants using oils to control pests and diseases. Includes spray oils forming protective coatings on plants and adjuvants enhancing crop protection chemicals through surfactants and oil-based penetration enhancers.
• Commercial Gear Oils and Transmission Fluids Advanced lubricants for commercial vehicle transmissions formulated to combat friction, prevent excessive wear, and extend transmission system lifespan. Provides smooth gear shifting and optimal transmission efficiency under various temperature ranges.
• Gulf Express Oil Change Service Oil change service offered at Gulf service stations, providing quick and efficient vehicle maintenance for drivers using Gulf lubricants.
• Home EV Charging Systems Design, development, assembly and servicing of domestic smart electric vehicle charging systems for the UK market, including 7kW residential smart chargers and bi-directional V2G chargers developed in partnership with Indra.
• Rapid EV Charging Solutions Rapid EV charging infrastructure solutions through the Tirex Chargers partnership, providing fast charging capabilities at Gulf locations.
• Reviva Coffee Small-batch roasted speciality coffee brand launched in 2023, sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms in Latin America, with a growing customer base particularly in the UK and Latin America.
• Fuel Retail Network Licensing Licensed national fuel retail networks operating in over 20 countries with more than 1,200 stations globally, where Gulf licenses its brand to local operators who run retail fuel stations under the Gulf brand standards.
• Gulf Care Lubrication Analysis Service Lubrication analysis service offering hydraulic fluid testing, periodic monitoring, and reporting of fluid condition with lab reports, immediate concern notifications, and expert maintenance advice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gulf Marine delivers to 95% of customer requests with goods available and can deliver in as little as 3 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered regional, minor and core.

• Autohub Group (Philippines)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 February 2026Partnership announced February 23, 2026 in Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Gulf lubricants distributed through Autohub's nationwide dealership and service network in the Philippines. Leverages Gulf's 125 years of lubricant expertise and Autohub's 27 years of local automotive retail presence.
• REFAX (Chile)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 January 2026Exclusive partnership with Chilean distributor REFAX to launch Gulf's lubricants business in Chile following entry into local service station market in 2023. Synthetic and semi-synthetic lubricants distributed to workshops, spare parts dealers, lubricenters and automotive service centers nationwide. Medium-term target of capturing 5% of Chile's lubricants market.
• AMW Global Automobiles LLCregionalOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 31 October 2025Strategic licensing partnership to launch Gulf Auto Products across Asia and Middle East covering 22 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and others. Product range includes car parts, batteries, filters, fuel additives, garage equipment, and car care solutions.
• QMex (Poland)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 202515-year exclusive fuels retail licensing agreement with QMex as new fuels retail licensee for Poland. Based in Góra, western Poland. CEO Łukasz Kumanowski leads the company with focus on premium customer experience.
• TAG HeuerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 May 2025Limited edition TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watch launch celebrating racing and cinema heritage. Limited to 971 pieces commemorating 1971 release of movie Le Mans. Features Gulf racing stripes on dial and vintage Heuer logo.
• Trackhouse MotoGP TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MotoGP racing partnership since 2024. Gulf livery featured on Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP25 bikes. Fan engagement through livery voting campaigns for Southeast Asian races (Indonesia, Malaysia). Partnership emphasizes fan involvement with fan-picked designs.
• Atlassian Williams RacingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023F1 partnership with Atlassian Williams Racing since 2023 season. Gulf is official lubricant partner. Notable campaigns include fan-voted liveries 'Bolder than Bold' (2023) and 'Driven by Words' (2025) featuring fan-submitted words on the racing car at Brazilian GP.
• McLaren AutomotivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2022Gulf and McLaren Automotive partnership for lubricant and fuel supply. Gulf Formula Elite is the first fill lubricant for all McLaren supercars and hypercars. Partnership includes collaborative product development, technical testing, and joint marketing through the 'Unstoppable' video series. History dates back to 1968 in motorsport.
• EverratiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with classic car EV conversion company. Everrati redefines sports cars by converting classic cars to electric vehicles. Gulf collaborates to test and expand EV fluids specifically meeting the unique needs of electric vehicles.
• IndracoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with rapidly growing EV and smart energy technology company. Indra creates innovative energy products including 7kW residential smart charger and bi-directional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charger. Supports Gulf's e-mobility product development for UK market.
• Chennai Super KingsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCricket sponsorship partnership spanning over a decade with Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. Iconic team exemplifies passion and drive for the game.
• ROFGO CollectionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with ROFGO collection curated by Roald Goethe featuring one of the world's finest car collections including Gulf-themed race cars. Favorite of motorsport fans globally.
• Pinnacle Marine (Singapore)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLubricant partner for Pinnacle Marine's pioneering project - President 100 vessel powered entirely by 100% Palm Methyl Ester (PME), operated by Prestige Ocean Pte Ltd. World's first of its kind vessel completed 1,000-hour sea trial.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fuchs Petrolub: Fuchs is the largest independent German lubricants manufacturer and competes with Gulf across industrial, automotive, and specialty lubricant segments. It has similar geographic diversification and a broad specialty lubricants portfolio.
• Castrol (BP): Castrol is one of the world's largest lubricants brands, owned by BP. It is the most direct competitor to Gulf across automotive, industrial, and marine lubricant segments, with similar global brand licensing and motorsport-driven marketing.
• Valvoline: Valvoline is a focused lubricants and oil-change service business. It is comparable to Gulf across passenger car engine oils and the Gulf Express quick-lube service model, though with a US-centric footprint.
• Motul: Motul is a French lubricants specialist with a strong motorsport heritage and premium positioning similar to Gulf. Both brands compete heavily in motorsport partnerships (F1, MotoGP) and high-performance synthetic engine oils.
• Petronas Lubricants: Petronas Lubricants (part of Petronas, the Malaysian state oil company) competes with Gulf in automotive, industrial, and especially marine lubricants. It shares Gulf's motorsport marketing approach (F1 partnership with Mercedes-AMG) and emerging-market distribution strength.

Broad incumbents

• Shell Lubricants: Shell is one of the largest integrated lubricants businesses globally (Shell Rimula, Pennzoil, Helix). It competes with Gulf across passenger car, commercial vehicle, industrial, and marine lubricant categories and has far deeper upstream integration.
• TotalEnergies Lubricants: TotalEnergies operates a major global lubricants business across automotive, industrial, and marine segments. Like Gulf, it benefits from a parent integrated oil major and competes head-to-head in specialty and marine lubricants.
• ExxonMobil (Mobil 1): ExxonMobil's Mobil 1 is a flagship synthetic engine oil brand and major competitor in passenger car and commercial lubricants. ExxonMobil's scale and additive technology make it one of the most formidable incumbent competitors to Gulf.

Regional players

• Indian Oil (Servo lubricants): Indian Oil's Servo brand is a major Indian lubricants player with comparable product breadth across automotive, industrial, and marine lubricants. It is a direct regional competitor to Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd within the Indian market.

Emerging players

• Liqui Moly: Liqui Moly is a German specialty lubricants and additive company with strong brand recognition in Europe. It competes with Gulf in automotive engine oils, gear oils, and additives, particularly in European aftermarket channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/306946996009390
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulf-oil-international-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/gulfoilinternational
• TikToktiktok.com/@gulfoilinternational
• Xx.com/GulfOilIntl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gulf Oil