The Munich-based chemical company WACKER is
strengthening its presence in India by opening a technical center
in Mumbai. The facility will serve as a regional competence center
for developments and applications in the construction, coatings,
plastics and textile coatings industry, the main focus being on
construction polymers, silicone emulsions, sealants, silanes and
silicone resins. The new technical center will enable WACKER to tap
the fast-growing markets in this part of the world. The investment
is aimed at providing local support to customers for developing new
and customized products while promoting internationally recognized
quality standards in India. In 2008, WACKER generated annual sales
of nearly €50 million with more than 140 employees in
India.
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| Product test at the Technical Center in Mumbai:
The new facility serves as a regional competence center to
developments new products and applications with regards to locally
available raw materials and climatic conditions in India (photo:
Wacker Chemie AG). |
The technical center is located in Goregaon, a suburb of Mumbai,
and is shared by Wacker Chemie India Pvt. Ltd., a 100 percent
subsidiary, and the joint venture Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt.
Ltd, where WACKER holds 51 percent of the shares. A few weeks ago,
the sales subsidiaries moved into a newly constructed building with
offices covering about 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2). The new
center will offer WACKER POLYMERS' and WACKER SILICONES' customers
support in developing new products and product applications for the
Indian market, and in conducting comparative lab testing of
construction products with regards to locally available raw
materials, climatic conditions and regional construction
methods.
The focus is on VINNAPAS dispersible polymer powder formulations
for manufacturing polymer-modified dry-mix mortars for the regional
construction industry. Additional products to be emphasized are
polymer dispersions, silicone emulsions, silicone resins, silanes
and sealants. Bundling a sales and technical center under one roof
enables closer teamwork between the sales and development teams,
resulting in optimal customer support.
Vigorous growth in India's economy, particularly in the
construction and coatings sector, prompted setting up this new
technical center. With it, WACKER wants to bolster its
technological leadership in top-quality chemical raw materials.
"The Mumbai technical center is another important milestone in our
growth strategy for Asia and particularly India," explained Dr.
Willhelm Sittenthaler, WACKER Executive Board member responsible
for Asia, at the opening ceremony. The objective is to meet the
individual needs of Indian customers locally and to support and
test new applications, added Sittenthaler. In this way, the
Munich-based WACKER Group intends to further consolidate and expand
its market position in collaboration with customers. Like its
counterparts in Germany, the USA, Russia, China, Korea, Singapore,
Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, the new center in
Mumbai will serve to establish a strong technical support network
for developing individual, tailor-made solutions locally.
The technical center Mumbai is furnished with state-of-the-art
laboratory and test equipment. But, that's not all: the "WACKER
House" itself also serves as a reference and demonstration object -
as most of the products used in constructing the building contained
WACKER technologies. These range from polymer-modified tile
adhesives and grout mortars, self-leveling compounds, polymer-based
wood and carpet glues, silicone sealants to seal windows and doors,
silicone resin emulsion paints for the exterior façade to
dispersion paints for indoor use and
cyclodextrin-fragrance-complexes in the wall paints.
Another highlight is the integral training center for the field
of construction chemicals: the WACKER ACADEMY. Its purpose is to
promote the transfer of knowledge to local customers, applicators
and business partners. Catering to the specific needs of the Indian
construction chemicals sector, its curriculum provides an
opportunity to learn about all relevant aspects of modern polymer
and silicone chemistry and their applications. Close proximity to
the applications labs fosters a lively exchange of expertise and
lays the optimal groundwork for customer service. Thus, the WACKER
ACADEMY offers an ideal platform for sector-specific networking
between customers, distribution partners and WACKER
specialists.
The WACKER Group has already been supplying chemicals to India
since the 1970s. In 1998, the joint venture Wacker Metroark
Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. has been established in Kolkata, as early as
1999, the site started up production of different silicone
products. The local subsidiary, Wacker Chemie India Pvt. Ltd., was
founded in 2007 in response to increasing market demands and
potentials.
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