Much is made of a lack of industry-academia interface which is a hurdle for students to gain practical experience before they are absorbed into the corporate sector. But here is an instance of a top corporate and a top rung B-school combining to provide management students with a real-world perspective on translating market opportunities to revenue growth and driving large-scale transformation in a volatile environment.

Lubricant maker Castrol India, collaborated with Prof. Renuka Kamath, Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean - Full-time Programmes at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, to develop a case study, “Castrol India’s Channel Dilemma: Play Safe or Disrupt to Change the Rules of the Game?” It is now available at Ivey Publishing.

As Castrol says, fostering industry-academia associations that drive innovation, and learning is an effective method for arriving at scalable innovation. And Castrol believes in walking the talk. One of its earlier case studies with SPJIMR is already a best-seller on Ivey Publishing, widely adopted in classrooms across the world.

Crux of the case

Castrol India has built a leading distribution network over two decades. The case study reveals the road Castrol took when faced with three possible approaches to upgrading its distribution network to position the business for future growth, increasingly being driven by Tier 2 towns and rural India. The Castrol team stepped back to reimagine a ‘Route to Market’ model that would not only build reach and strong sales capability but also integrate the latest digital tools for flawless execution.  

Castrol had to choose from three solutions, on which the students were asked to brainstorm:

The last option was the riskiest but possibly the one which would deliver the best outcome to transform the business and make it future-ready. Even though Castrol is, and remains, the market leader with a technological edge and an expansive distribution network, the environment was anything but stable, and the choice was not an easy one. The industry witnesses frequent price hikes driven by massive inflation in commodity prices, rising distributor costs, and high attrition among distributor sales staff with the emergence of gig economy workers. 

The case study follows Castrol as it deals with multifarious challenges and lends management students invaluable lessons on analysing a problem statement from multiple angles, adaptability, sales channel dynamics, and data-enabled decision-making.

Speaking on the collaboration, Saugata Basuray, Whole-time Director, Castrol India Ltd, says, “Over the years, we have worked to bridge academia and industry, fostering innovation and strategic thinking. At Castrol, we believe the best ideas emerge from collaboration and fresh perspectives. This case study offers students the opportunity to engage in real-world business challenges while allowing us to tap into their fresh perspectives. It goes beyond understanding distribution strategy; it prepares future business leaders to navigate market disruptions and drive meaningful change.”

Says Renuka Kamath of SPJIMR, “Our relationship with Castrol India has continually provided students with invaluable real-world learning experiences. This latest collaboration, through a live case study on market expansion and distribution strategy, has enabled students to bridge the gap between theory and application. By working on real business challenges, they gain critical problem-solving and strategic decision-making skills — preparing them to navigate complex industry landscapes with confidence.”

The new case study will be integrated into SPJIMR’s curriculum and made available for academic and industry reference, enabling future business leaders to analyse and derive insights from Castrol India’s strategic journey.

Published on February 18, 2025