A true leader and a man of action know well how to turn the fortune of a company. And Naveen Kshatriya, MD and CEO, Castrol India Ltd has done precisely the same - he changed the very destiny of Castrol India. In fact, a couple of years ago, Castrol India Ltd. appeared to be oscillating between the prospects of profit and loss. This was further aggravated by a steady decline in sales for two consecutive years. Its net profits had fallen from Rs.204 crore in 1999 to Rs.108 crore in 2001. It was an unfortunate scenario, as Castrol was counted among the most revered oil companies in the world.

In fact, the decline of Castrol India Ltd triggered off a large-scale restructuring process. It was no surprise that the company's fortune began to change from 2002, when Kshatriya took over his new appointment, for here he was to change the destiny of the company.

Kshatriya joined Castrol India in 1998 as Consumer Business Director and was later appointed Marketing Director of Asia Pacific Lubricants business, based in Hong Kong/Singapore. He returned to India in May 2002 as CEO and Managing Director of Castrol India Ltd. It has been a short haul for him as the Chief, yet he has managed to turn the company's prospects on its head.

Known for his incisive talent, Kshatriya has a deep expertise in marketing and customer management from a successful career in Unilever, Castrol and now BP. Having worked long in Asia Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East, he has extensive knowledge of the developing economies.

Thus it made complete sense when Kshatriya was also appointed as Regional Vice President of BP's transcontinental lubricant business. The transcontinental lubricant business includes South Asia (including India), Africa, Middle East and turkey. The region covers 20 countries spreading over 3 continents. And Kshatriya, who is also a member of the Global Lubricants Leadership team, is sure to steer the course of Castrol India to a greater heights.

Kshatriya has been credited with the remarkable turnaround of the company. Soon after his elevation to the top post he embarked on a plan to consciously de-emphasize Castrol's low-end portfolio. This one was a real redeemer as the net profits jumped 41 percent within the span of a year.

The main challenge facing the firm, after Kshatriya joined the company, was to modify itself to survive the fall in sales and one can say with all certainty that under Kshatriya's able stewardship, Castrol successfully remolded its strategies and has been able to survive the onslaught of time. No doubt, like a true warrior, Kshatriya has enabled the company to regain its fading glory.