We caught up with Mr Irfan Mulla from TajChem to uncover what distinguishes the Middle East and African lubricant markets from the rest of the world, and to discover why Everest Base Camp is on his personal bucket list. Read on to find out more…
Can you tell us about your role at TajChem and what your day-to-day responsibilities look like?
At Taj Chem, my role involves identifying areas of our business that are growing stronger and where we can further expand. We have several verticals, but the lubricant segment is something I’m particularly excited about. I truly believe our lubricants have the potential to expand our global footprint in Latin America, Central America, Mexico, and potentially into Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Our current focus is on establishing strong distribution partnerships and strategically targeting these markets.
What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming Lubricant Expo Middle East in Dubai?
I think the Lubricant Expo is a great opportunity to truly connect with the industry and with people who are passionate about lubricants -especially high-quality ones. The Middle East and Africa are key regions for this sector because of the industry’s growing depth here. I believe that lubricants with consistent, high-quality performance from this region can successfully gain market share in places like America and Europe. Looking ahead, Latin America and Mexico also have strong potential to become important markets for lubricants.
We’re seeing new trends happening within the lubricant industry, what is the most interesting to you?
For the trends in lubricants, when it comes to aviation lubricants, I believe there’s significant room for improvement. Similarly, industrial lubricants hold enormous potential across various applications. The aviation and marine sectors also represent a huge market, but there’s still a long way to go in achieving consistent quality and performance.
Lubricant Expo is a great opportunity to truly connect with the industry and with people who are passionate about lubricants – especially high-quality ones.
What do you think sets the Middle East and African lubricant market apart from the rest of the world?
In the Middle East and Africa, the market dynamics differ from other parts of the world. One of the key challenges is encountering professionals who are still developing technical expertise to match first-world standards. At the same time, these individuals are eager to learn and improve. What these markets need are innovators and mentors who can guide them to enhance both the quality and performance of lubricants. In that sense, the challenges themselves present significant opportunities for growth and impact.
Where in the world would you wish to go and what activities would you like to do there?
My dream vacation would involve trekking, as I’m very fond of mountaineering. One day, I’d love to make it to the base camp of Mount Everest, not to climb the mountain itself, as I’m a bit too old for that, but reaching the base camp, which I believe is under 4,000 meters, would be an incredible experience.
From emerging market potential to the push for higher performance across sectors, Irfan paints a picture of a region on the rise. Discover CEOs like Mr Irfan Mulla, and forward-thinking businesses such as TajChem at Lubricant Expo Middle East. Not registered yet?
