Last updated : September 21, 2026 6:10 pm
Our compressors are certified Class 0, which has a higher air-purity standard than many alternatives
In an exclusive interview with Pravin Prashant, Executive Editor, Indian Chemical News, Sampath Shetty, Business Director - OFS& AGS - India, Compression Systems & Services, Ingersoll-Rand (India) talks about company's product range, role of compressed air in manufacturing, compressor quality, solutions for chemical sector, compliance with Indian regulatory standards, R&D investment, manufacturing footprint, and service offerings. Excerpts of the interview:
Could you tell us about Ingersoll-Rand product range — compressors, dryers, and accessories?
We offer full range of compressors along with accessories, including air dryers of different types, depending on what the customer's application requires. So we cover the complete spectrum for the India market.
How do you see the role of compressed air infrastructure in manufacturing?
As manufacturing becomes increasingly automated, compressed air becomes a critical utility for running processes. One needs reliable compressors, good quality, and clean air. So we offer compressors that deliver oil-free, better-quality air, along with dryers that can clean the air to whatever quality level an industry requires. We also have a strong installation presence — in Taiwan, Malaysia, and other countries — and companies from those markets that are now setting up in India already use our systems, so they are familiar with what we offer.
What sets your compressors better in terms of air quality?
Our compressors are certified Class 0, which has a higher air-purity standard than many alternatives. Beyond that, depending on the country and the application, there are additional features that can be built into the system. For dryers, we offer different types depending on the dew point required — some applications need minus 40°C, others need minus 80°C. We can cater to any of those requirements.
Solutions you have for chemical manufacturers?
For chemical applications, our systems are engineered to ensure moisture-free and contamination-free air across every compression stage which is essential in a moisture-sensitive chemical environment — this is critical for preventing corrosion and product contamination.
Tell us about desiccant/heat-of-compression dryer technology?
What we do is use the heat generated during compression to regenerate the desiccant towers — there are typically two towers in these dryer systems. While one tower is drying/adsorbing moisture from the air, the heat of compression is used to regenerate the other tower. The advantage of our dryer is that we use the heat of compression itself so we don't need separate heaters to regenerate the desiccant. Normally that heat would just be wasted — we're recovering and reusing it instead of needing additional heaters. Even in compressors where discharge temperatures reach close to 190–200°C, we can achieve the required air quality without needing external heaters. This is something we've localized in manufacturing — earlier this wasn't produced locally, and not many other manufacturers offer this.
How do you ensure compliance with Indian regulatory standards?
We design our compressors to meet Indian regulatory standards, and depending on the air quality classification required, we provide all the accessories needed to ensure full compliance.
How do you see smart technology evolving in the chemical sector and where is Ingersoll-Rand focusing its R&D investment? What's your market share in this segment?
Our market share is around 9%. We are investing significantly in R&D, particularly around high-pressure compressors, as well as large-capacity systems required for nitrogen generation and air-separation applications for the semiconductor industry. We don't sell compressors directly for specialty gas/glass manufacturing instead we supply compressors to air-separation-unit manufacturers who then produce and supply the gases used in those operations.
Could you tell us about your manufacturing footprint in India?
We started second local manufacturing operations last year and have already begun manufacturing high-capacity units as well. We currently have two plants in India and this is close to where a large concentration of relevant industries are based. We have room to double our current capacity and about 50% of the land at that facility which is still available for further expansion.
And in terms of nitrogen-related demand?
Nitrogen isn't a very large volume business for us currently but we do serve that segment.
Tell us about your service offerings?
We've built out a strong service setup because service is becoming increasingly critical — these are fully our own services not third-party. We also offer a unique service package: essentially, we take responsibility for keeping the customer's system running. For example, we operate and maintain the compressor for the customer under a multi-year contract say five years — and if anything goes wrong during that period, that responsibility sits with us. The benefit to the customer is predictability as they know exactly what their operating cost will be over the life of the contract.