BPCL begins operations of Bharat Tiki Tar Shell bitumen venture in Mumbai
Mumbai, 7 October 2026: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has started operations of Bharat Tiki Tar Shell Pvt Ltd, its bitumen partnership with Shell Gas B.V. and Tiki Tar Industries.
The company said the move follows a joint venture and share subscription agreement signed on 26 June 2026. Tiki Tar and Shell India Pvt Ltd, formed in 2019, has been renamed Bharat Tiki Tar Shell Pvt Ltd.
The venture will produce, market and sell value-added bitumen, including polymer modified bitumen, crumb rubber modified bitumen and bitumen emulsions. BPCL said these products are used on national highway projects and airport runways because they offer greater durability, temperature stability and a longer service life. It will also work on decarbonisation and waste circularity in paving.
The company is using the tagline “Best Bitumen for Best Roads”. The initials BTS are also described as “Beyond the Surface”.
Shell is to supply technology for advanced bitumen and circular solutions. Tiki Tar is contributing about six decades of product work in India and six plants, at Taloja, Halol, Palwal, Mangalore, Vizag and Pithampur, along with logistics. BPCL is bringing its sales network for government contracts, public works projects and larger infrastructure work, including Bharatmala Pariyojana.
Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing), BPCL, said India’s roads and highways were seeing higher demand for durable value-added bitumen across PMB, CRMB, NRMB and emulsions. He said the partnership was meant to widen BPCL’s product range for state projects such as Bharatmala Pariyojana, using the partners’ technology and BPCL’s sales network and Pure for Sure brand.
Raman Ojha of Shell said the 2019 base of Shell’s bitumen work and Tiki Tar’s manufacturing was now being extended with BPCL as a partner, with the stated aim of more durable and resource-efficient road construction. Pushp Kumar Nayar, Director (Human Resources), BPCL, said the venture would focus on collaboration and on people contributing to the business.
Manoj Menon, Chairman of Bharat Tiki Tar Shell, said demand was moving from conventional paving bitumen to application-specific products as India expands highways, roads, airports, logistics networks and smart cities. He named Sumit Mohan as MD and CEO.
Rajendra Shah, Director, Tiki Tar, said the six plants give the venture immediate production capacity and cited BPCL’s market reach and Shell’s technology as the other two inputs.
