BASF plans to expand India automotive business

07 May 2008 11:53 [Source: ICIS news]

MUMBAI (ICIS news)--Germany’s BASF said it plans to expand its automotive industry base in India as Asia is the fastest growing region in the vehicle sector, the company said on Wednesday.

“Production figures show that Asia is the fastest growing region in the global automotive industry, with car production increasing by 8% last year; in India it has been growing at an average of 15% per year over the last few years,” said Prasad Chandran, BASF's group chairman for India and south Asia.

The company said it planned to build a new engineering plastics compounding plant at its site in Thane, Maharashtra, which it expected to commission by the second half of 2009.

BASF had also set up a computer-aided engineering lab at Thane in Maharastra, the company said.

BASF Coatings, meanwhile, had commissioned a new refinish colour lab in Mangalore in February and was expanding its e-coat facility, which was expected to be completed by the end of 2008, it said.

The company was also planning to commission a catalyst plant in Chennai, which was expected to triple its capacity by 2009, it added.

E-coat is an emulsion of organic resins and de-ionised water and most often used as a primer in the automotive industry.

No financial details were revealed regarding these developments.

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By: Isha Jha
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