The careful selection of technology, coupled with strategic project design and robust execution planning, is critical to achieving operational excellence, reducing costs, ensuring regulatory compliance, and accelerating time-to-market. By aligning these elements from the outset, chemical companies can mitigate risks, optimize resource utilization, and build future-ready facilities that are both efficient and sustainable.

Leading industry experts discussed the latest scenario at the eleventh session, 'Selecting Technology, Project Design and Execution Strategies’ at the maiden edition of Chem & Petchem Conference 2025 organized by the Indian Chemical News on May 07-10, 2025 at Baruch in Gujarat.

The session was moderated by Pravin Prashant, Executive Editor, Indian Chemical News.

Experts Speak:

Kapil Sharma, Senior Director - Design & Engineering, Jubilant Ingrevia

‘The R&D, pilot plant, technology development, process engineering and procurement are all complex teams working together. In R&D, there are three types of technologies. One is licensor type of technology, second is in the case of agrochemicals which is based on batch process, and third is in-house molecule development. In the first case we don’t need to do any R&D and the other two options are painful. We still have conventional ways of doing R&D in the chemical sector and data remains unused by the pilot team and there are issues with the scaling up. In many cases, tech transfer will not have any data because all the reactions are done in the same reactor. At industrial level, all the reactions are done in separate reactors. Lab reactor operator is able to do the reaction in one hour and at commercial level it doesn’t happen. The mixing doesn’t happen properly and if you are not observing the R&D and pilot, it will create complexities at commercial level. In terms of execution, there are two major gaps: cost escalation and timeline. If the management is sure about the huge capex such as Rs 200 crore, then out of that amount at least try to bring down to plus or minus 10 percent of pre-capex activity that you can show to them for a positive outcome. With the help of a third party consultant, you can execute the project but it will take 3-4 months for basic engineering and then another 3-4 months for extended basic engineering, followed by submission of documents to the consultant who then takes another seven months to start the project designing. In terms of defining the technology before its selection, it should be easily reproducible and be able to solve business problems with lower cost and maximum yield.”

Raman Patel, Site Head, Adama India

“When we transition from kilo lab operations to piloting, a common issue is the fragmented and inefficient approach to using pilot plants. While many teams have access to their own pilot setups, they do not actually own or maintain the infrastructure, leading to inconsistent usage and underutilization of critical resources. Currently, there are nearly 50 types of chemical reactions, along with various distillation and filtration processes, each requiring specific setups. However, rather than creating isolated and redundant systems, there should be a centralized, well-equipped common piloting facility. Such a facility should ideally house around 10 types of filtration systems and 15 types of distillation units to accommodate a wide range of processes efficiently. Directly scaling up from a kilo lab to full-scale production is not advisable, as it often results in technical and operational challenges. Instead, the scale-up process should be gradual and supported by intermediate pilot plants. To address this, we need dedicated pilot setups for each core operation, filtration, distillation, and drying, so that process validation and troubleshooting can be done effectively at a smaller yet scalable level. Another area that often lacks strategic planning is project design. In many cases, design consultants are brought in only after capex is approved and land has been allocated. This approach is fundamentally flawed. If a project is envisioned, there should be at least some preliminary capex allocated upfront to support the early engagement of design experts. Ideally, a 3D design consultant should be onboarded at the beginning stages, working in close collaboration with operations and maintenance teams. Too often, project managers attempt to handle everything in isolation without involving key stakeholders from production and maintenance. This lack of cross-functional collaboration leads to design flaws that only become apparent after equipment has been installed at which point changes become costly and time-consuming. By involving all relevant teams from the outset, particularly during the design phase, many of these issues can be preemptively addressed, resulting in smoother execution and more effective use of resources.”

Anil Goyal, AVP - Project Procurement and PMO Head, Aarti Industries

“In a typical project lifecycle, the process often begins with basic and detailed engineering. At this stage, technology selection is frequently treated as a purely technical decision, isolated from the broader strategic context. However, challenges arise when the project transitions from the technical team to the commercial or procurement functions. Suddenly, new technologies and options are introduced during procurement, often without alignment with the initial engineering strategy. This disconnect leads to considerable friction and inefficiencies, as engineering teams are forced to reassess decisions and adapt to last-minute changes. These issues stem from a fundamental problem: decisions that should have been made at the strategic level right when the project is being conceptualized are being deferred until the transactional phase. The most important question during the initial planning phase of any project should be: What are we selecting, and why? This is a strategic decision, not just a technical one, and it requires the active participation of all cross-functional teams, be it engineering, commercial, operations, finance, and procurement. Together, these teams must evaluate what makes sense from both a technical and commercial perspective. Typically, project decisions are based on capex and opex considerations, guided by business case analyses. While these are necessary, they are not sufficient. Technology selection must also align with the ultimate objective the project aims to achieve. Each technological option comes with its own set of strengths and limitations, and more mature or advanced technologies often carry a premium cost. A proper techno-commercial evaluation must consider these trade-offs, bringing all relevant data to the table before making a decision. At Aarti, we emphasize early-stage collaboration through cross-functional workshops and value engineering sessions. These sessions take place during the initial design phase to ensure alignment across the board. We also engage closely with our business partners to understand their preferences in terms of available technologies and modular designs that they believe are techno-commercially viable. These insights are then integrated back into our project planning and design process. By involving all stakeholders from the beginning including business partners and suppliers, minimizes redesign efforts, and ultimately drives better project outcomes.” 

The Chem & Petchem Conference 2025 themed 'Viksit Gujarat: Visit Bharat@2047’ witnessed massive attendance by leading industry experts and stakeholders across Gujarat and India. The 12 sessions at the two day event were attended by a total of 76 speakers and more than 600 delegates.

The conference was supported by Academia partner - Somaiya Vidyavihar University; Platinum partners -- PremierTech Systems & Automation, ABB India, and Netradyne; Gold partners - Tvarit GmbH (Germany), SNF Flopam India, Alleima India, AMETEK Land Instruments International, BEIL, UPL University of Sustainable Technology, Forbes Marshall, Utthunga Technology, Syinfotech, Servilink Systems, Graphite India, Thermax, Gem Machinery & Allied Industries and Thermax; Associate partners - Diyani Automation, Flaminia Ecarb India, LAPP India, Goodrich Gasket, and GD Waldner; Industry Association partners - Gujarat Chemical Association (GCA), Jhagadia Industries Association (JIA), Dahej Industries Association (DIA) and Alkali Manufacturers Association of India (AMAI).