SGL Group has further expanded its production in Pune, India, gaining a larger footprint in the Indian growth market. At the new production facility, the manufacture of graphite-based system components (heat exchangers and columns) for the chemical industry has been increased. The products made from specialty graphite from the BA “Graphite Materials & Systems” are used primarily in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors and increasingly in the glass manufacturing, the pump and the solar industries.

Gerd Wingefeld, member of the Board of Management of SGL Group said: “This investment will further advance our specialty graphite production base in India. It is an important step in developing the substantial growth market for SGL and preparing the Group to contribute to the growth of high-tech industries such as solar, semiconductor and LED. The facility expansion underlines our objective to serve regional markets through regional production infrastructure.”

Manfred Neumaier, Managing Director of SGL India said: “The expansion of our production capacity is a clear commitment to production in India and has an outstanding development perspective, particularly thanks to the growing chemical and pharmaceutical industries, which have by now caught up with the world’s leaders in their industries. We are manufacturing products that are specifically tailored to the needs of our customers. The new plant provides a basis for future growth in the Indian market. We aim to increase our market share in India significantly over the next years.”

The production portfolio at the Pune location has been continuously developed over the past years and tailored to customer requirements in the Indian market in particular. Therefore, the semi-finished products delivered from other SGL Group sites will be machined here. The new location will also serve as a future after-sales & service hub for the Indian market.

Over the course of the expansion, SGL Group has invested in new production facilities. SGL Group’s ECOPHIT® cooling ceiling elements are being used in the new office building to support the air conditioning system, which is part of the location’s energy saving strategy. The new site is located in the Ranjangaon industrial area in eastern Pune. The newly built production hall, with significantly increased production capacity, has space for further production expansion. Building construction was completed in just ten months.

The chemical industry in India is one of the largest growth markets in the global chemical business. With a total sales volume of currently 76 billion euros, it ranks among the top ten leading chemical nations. Advantages of the location include a specialist staff with excellent English language skills, high production standards as well as India’s fast growing spending capacity leading to energy demand. The often poor infrastructure and resulting logistical issues continue to remain a challenge.