Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) is planning to expand its production capacity at Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu to meet the growing demand for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). With the addition of a second TPU production line, the annual capacity at the Cuddalore site will increase to 6,000 metric tons from its current capacity of 2,500 metric tons. The installation is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2015.
Mr. Marius Wirtz, Head of TPU Business at Bayer MaterialScience, said: “As the only local TPU producer, BMS has been committed to the development of the Indian TPU market for over 18 years. The planned increase in our local capacity is an important milestone to continuously support our customer’s growth with custom-made TPUs in high quality and with short lead times.”
Mr. Ajay Durrani, Managing Director and Senior Country Representative – Indian Sub-continent, Bayer MaterialScience, added: “Bayer MaterialScience continues to see strong growth opportunities in India across all business units. There is considerable demand in the Indian market for TPUs which is driven by an increasing appetite for high-quality end products. With this, we are convinced that the Indian market has strong fundamentals to utilize the scale of investments in TPU.”
Bayer pioneered the development of TPU applications in India in a wide range of industry segments and applications such as automotive, textiles, shoe, castor wheel, cable sheathing, pneumatic tubing, solution coatings and adhesives. The company is the local market leader and offers a wide range of innovative TPUs from both Bayer’s local and global TPU portfolio.
The Cuddalore site supplies TPU under Bayer’s trade name Desmopan to the Indian market as well as to customers in Europe. The company recently received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment which is supplemented by a permit from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
With 2013 sales of EUR 11.2 billion, Bayer MaterialScience is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electricals and electronics, construction, and sports and leisure industries. At the end of 2013, the company had 30 production sites and employed approximately 14,300 people around the globe.