The government will have to play a significant role in supporting the specialty chemicals industry to achieve the identified potential of $80-100 billion by the year 2002. A 10-point agenda towards this end was endorsed by participants at a seminar on chemicals and petrochemicals here today. 
Continuing to expand its Indian production site in Jhagadia in Gujarat, specialty chemicals maker Lanxess India said three of its production units have commenced production this month at the plant in which Rs 490 crore has been invested so far.- Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) registered a jump of over 35 percent in its net profit at Rs 25.94 crore for the quarter ended on December 31, 2011 compared to Rs 19.19 crore in the same period of the previous year.
Fitch Ratings says that fresh investments by Indian fertiliser companies in 2012 will depend upon changes in government policies, allocation of natural gas and long-term tie-ups for key inputs. 
BASF has signed a contract to sell its 50%-share in PEC-Rhin in Ottmarsheim, France, to its joint venture partner GPN, a member of the French Total Group. - BASF today announced that it will build a single-train 300,000 metric tonnes per year production plant for TDI (toluene diisocyanate) and expand additional plants for its precursors at its site in Ludwigshafen.
Clariant announces the opening of a new crop protection laboratory by its Industrial & Consumer Specialties (ICS) Business Unit in India. The new laboratory, located at Clariant’s Kolshet site in Thane, near Mumbai, was inaugurated today by Mr. Christian Vang, Head of ICS, Asia Pacific, Clariant.
CRISIL has revised its rating outlook on Swati Menthol & Allied Chemicals Limited’s (SMACL) long-term bank facilities to ‘Positive’ from ‘Stable’, while reaffirming the rating at ‘CRISIL BB+’. The short-term rating has been reaffirmed at ‘CRISIL A4+’. - CRISIL has upgraded its ratings on the bank facilities of Ihsedu Speciality Chemicals Pvt Ltd (ISCPL) to ‘CRISIL BBB/Stable/CRISIL A3+’ from ‘CRISIL BB/Stable/CRISIL A4+’.
Indo Amines has sought environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest to expand its plant capacity at Tundav. The company plans to increase the production of fatty amines and derivatives. The estimated cost of the expansion is Rs 4 crore.
"India is one of the most important growth markets for LANXESS. The continuing trends of mobility and urbanization contribute to the success of our company on the subcontinent. And we want to growth further and make use of the opportunities that present themselves here through the economic growth," said Board Member Rainier van Roessel at the inauguration of two new production sites in Jhagadia in Gujarat. 
Sasol Germany GmbH announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its production site in Witten (Germany) and the associated oleochemicals business to Cremer Oleo GmbH & Co. KG. 
AkzoNobel has completed its acquisition of China’s leading specialty surfactant producer, Boxing Oleochemicals. Boxing is a leading supplier of nitrile amines and derivatives, which are used in a variety of industrial and consumer applications including fabric softeners, asphalt additives, and hair conditioners. - The Indian Chemical Council (ICC) has urged the Government of UAE to allow the registration of agrochemicals manufactured in India in the UAE. “If our information is correct that in UAE agrochemicals (pesticides) manufactured in the India are not allowed to be registered, then we would like to know the specific reasons for the same,” ICC said in a missive to the Ministry of Environment and Water, Government of UAE.
The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) recently convened a meeting to discuss daft position paper prepared by the department for framing ‘National Policy on Chemicals’. The meeting, chaired by secretary (C&PC), was attended by the senior officials of the department, CHEMEXCIL and DIPP. 
The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) has recommended initiation of investigation in the case of imports of carbon black used in rubber applications from China, following a petition from the domestic manufacturers seeking imposition of the safeguard duty. 
CRISIL’ ratings on the debt instruments and bank facilities of Rallis India Ltd (Rallis) continue to reflect Rallis’s established position in India’s crop protection market, its strong focus on research and development, and its strong financial risk profile marked by low gearing.
CRISIL has downgraded its ratings on the bank facilities of Chemspec Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (Chemspec) to ‘CRISIL BBB-/Stable/CRISIL A3’ from ‘CRISIL BBB/Stable/CRISIL A3+’.- In November, 2011 production of urea had been more than the target by 0.26 lakh MT. Estimated production of urea during November, 2011 was 17.69 lakh MT against the target of 17.43 lakh MT.
Fitch Ratings has affirmed National Peroxide Ltd.'s (NPL) National Long-Term rating at 'Fitch A(ind)' with a Stable Outlook. A list of additional rating actions is provided at the end of this commentary.
