To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it. And M B Lal, chairman and managing director, HPCL, has kept the HPCL's flame burning through his tenacity, hard work and brilliant execution of projects. A man who has worked his way up the ladder through dedication and unflinching perseverance to his idea, it's not surprise to see him guiding the destiny of India's second-largest oil refining and marketing company. A man who has long served in the petroleum products business, Lal is one of the few individuals who have a complete understanding of oil trade, both national and international.

To augment resources for the company and promote it on a larger scale, it was Lal's initiative to foray into oil and gas exploration market with an investment of Rs 100 crore. HPCL's plan to bid for exploration in the oil and natural gas is sure to give it a greater advantage over its competitors. A company, which is a leader in petrol and diesel, has ensured that it fulfills its social responsibility. As an initiative it was responsible for launching several products like unleaded petrol for environment-friendly vehicles, ultra-low Sulphur diesel and Power, a petrol to keep the cities air clean and enhance engines' performance. In fact, HPCL was the first oil company in India to have launched country's first e-fuel station and Mobile HSD outlet, which has received massive response from the consumers.

All along, it has been Lal's initiative, which has made HPCL one of the fastest growing oil firms in India. Today, HPCL has a gigantic retail-marketing network in the country with more than 4,863 sites doing successful business for the company. Under its Club HP programme, it has more than 85 outlets and the number is expected to go up by the end of the year. In fact, the Club HP has revolutionized the concept of oil marketing in India. Providing value added services like efficient and expert advises, quick care point, certifiable fuel quality and quantity assurance, digital air tower and vehicle finance and insurance related services, HPCL has been able to augment the loyalty of its consumers.

The programme which is operational in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata is expected to be extended to other major Indian cities. Breaking the traditional fuel retailing practice, HPCL under the vision of Lal has demonstrated that ideas and concept if implemented with a fore sight can pay heavy dividends and could oil the growth of a company. Seeing the success of Club HP, HPCL is also mooting the idea of entering into alliances with major automobile companies to open authorised service centres in various cities and towns. Probably, there are few people like Lal who understand the importance of bringing a disparate group of people together, under one umbrella and making it a good business preposition. Believing in teamwork, it seems, the day of Lal's ideas are very much on the threshold.