The Beginning of NLGI India Chapter

NLGI’s Mission is to provide resources relevant to the needs of the global grease community.

NLGI’s Vision is to be recognized as the premier source of support to consumers, researchers, manufacturers, suppliers, marketers, and other key stakeholders of the worldwide lubricating grease industry.

The National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI), a beacon of excellence and a paragon of industry innovation, was founded in 1933 with the grand vision of fostering the advancement and proliferation of lubricating grease-related endeavours in the United States. As a non-profit trade association, NLGI has stood the test of time and has emerged as a bastion of knowledge and a hub for collaboration in the industry.

In 1936, the organization underwent a name change, and in 1951, it expanded its operations to countries worldwide, making it an international entity. With over 400 corporate members spread across 50 countries, the philosophy of NLGI has been successful in bringing together experts from different facets of the grease industry, including production, marketing, raw materials, equipment, packaging, additives, and testing. The organization provides its members with guidelines and resources to help advance research and product development, leading to continued growth in the field.

In 1993, an effort was made to establish a local chapter of NLGI in India. This was eventually realized in September 1997, when the first general body meeting to form NLGI-India was held at Indian Oil Bhavan in Mumbai. The meeting was attended by a large number of participants representing various companies involved in the manufacture and marketing of grease and raw material suppliers. A resolution was passed to form the NLGIIndia chapter, and an executive committee was constituted, electing Dr. A.K. Bhatnagar, Director of Research and Development at Indian Oil Corporation, as President and Mr. V.N. Sharma, General Manager at Balmer Lawrie & Co., as Secretary. Other members of the committee were Mr. K. Ramachandran, General Manager Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Mr. N.R. Bhoopatkar, Chief Executive Officer, Apar Ltd., Mr. M.F. Sait, Senior Manager (R&D) from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Dr. K.P. Naithani, Senior Research Manager from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

The NLGI-India Chapter, as an affiliate of NLGI USA, is a non-profit society with the following objectives:

• To act as an information center for grease-related issues

• To disseminate information regarding developments in the grease industry in India and abroad through seminars, education courses, workshops, and news bulletins

• To promote research and development in grease technology by funding basic research projects

• To conduct grease market surveys and round-robin tests

• To assist the government on grease and environmental-related issues.

In conclusion, the establishment of the NLGI-India Chapter has provided a platform for professionals in the lubricating grease industry to collaborate, share information, and advance the field through research and development efforts.