Jun 13 2008
Today, the BASF Construction Chemicals division is to open a plant for concrete admixtures in Kolkata (Calcutta), East India. The new plant is BASF's response to soaring Indian construction industry demand for high-quality concrete admixtures in East India, North East India and West Bengal. Kolkata is BASF's fourth production site for construction chemicals in India.
BASF production plants in Mumbai, Bangalore and Nalagarh cater to the demand for construction chemicals in southern and central India. Admixtures ensure that concrete quality is maintained during transport, and make the concrete easier to process at building sites because of enhanced pourability. Admixtures also increase the strength of concrete and hence increase the service life of buildings and other works.
“The opening of the Kolkata plant marks a key milestone in the expansion of our business in East India. With a contribution of almost 7 to 8 percent to the GDP, the construction industry in India is a focus area for BASF”, said Prasad Chandran, Chairman BASF Group in India and Head South Asia.
"Local production takes us close to our customers in India's regions and enables us to respond rapidly and flexibly to their needs," says Himanshu Kapadia, head of the BASF Construction Chemicals division in India. "That way, we benefit from the soaring demand in India and at the same time help local construction industry to develop."
BASF's construction chemicals business in India has been growing at an annual rate of 45 percent for the past five years. Growth is mainly driven by infrastructural projects in the public sector. Large projects in East India include expansion of the national freeway network, hydroelectricity plants as a source of energy, and promotion of the industrial infrastructure in West Bengal.
BASF’s Construction Chemicals business has been producing concrete admixtures at their Indian sites since 1997. The Construction Chemicals division now supplies the full product range in India, including the high performance superplasticizers GLENIUM® and RHEOPLUS®.