By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : April 04, 2026 11:20 am
This investment is intended to double the current manufacturing capacity to meet rising domestic demand across various industries
Cabot Sanmar Limited, a joint venture between Cabot Corporation and The Sanmar Group, has announced a Rs. 220 crore brownfield expansion of its fumed silica manufacturing facility in Mettur, Tamil Nadu. The unit is projected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2027.
This announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Cabot-Sanmar joint venture.
This investment is intended to double the current manufacturing capacity to meet rising domestic demand across various industries. The expansion is positioned to support emerging applications, including chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) for semiconductors and battery energy storage systems.
Vijay Sankar, Chairman, The Sanmar Group, said: “This has been a journey of trust and consistent value creation. This milestone year marks 30 years of this partnership, exemplifying Sanmar’s track record of successful joint venture stewardship.”
“We are proud of the strong partnership we have built with The Sanmar Group and the meaningful impact our joint efforts have made over the past 30 years,” Sean Keohane, President and CEO, Cabot Corporation, said. “This expansion reflects our shared commitment to collaboration, innovation, and delivering high-quality fumed silica to support India’s growing demand.”
“Cabot Sanmar has been a reliable supply partner for diverse industries in India. With this investment, Cabot Sanmar will expand the domestic availability of a critical ingredient that goes into the making of products we use every day,” Krishna Kumar Rangachari, PhD, Director, Cabot Sanmar Limited, said.
The project supports India's "self-reliance" goals and addresses rising demand for critical ingredients, with the fumed silica industry in India estimated to be growing at 8-10%.
Fumed silica is a highly versatile specialty chemical that functions primarily as a thickening agent, anticaking agent, and reinforcing filler. Its unique ability to form a three-dimensional network through hydrogen bonding allows it to control how liquids flow and how powders behave.