Indian Chemical News (ICN), an online news media covering Chemicals, Petrochemicals, and Energy sector is organizing a session on ‘Petrochemicals: Opportunities Beyond Refining’ at The Leela, Mumbai on July 9, 2026 to discuss how Indian specialty chemical manufacturers can enhance innovation capabilities, create globally competitive products, strengthen supply chain resilience.

The session is a part of 2-day long NextGen Chemicals & Petrochemicals Summit 2026 organized by ICN on July 9-10, 2026, under the theme "REACT. CREATE. INNOVATE.”

Industry professionals interested in participating can Register for the conference at:

https://www.indianchemicalnews.com/nextgen-chemical-and-petrochemical-summit-2026/register.php   

Recognized as one of India's premier leadership platforms for the chemicals, petrochemicals, and energy sectors, the summit will bring together C-suite executives, policymakers, technology innovators, investors, and industry experts to deliberate on strategies that will define the next phase of industrial growth.

India’s petrochemical sector is shifting from traditional fuel production to integrated refining-to-chemicals (Crude-to-Chemicals). Driven by rising domestic demand, government initiatives like PCPIR, and the "China Plus One" strategy, the sector is moving downstream. This transition focuses on specialty chemicals, advanced polymers, and sustainable materials to boost self-reliance and global competitiveness. With domestic demand for chemicals projected to grow rapidly, and significant capital outlays—including major projects from PSUs like HPCL and BPCL—the industry aims to capture immense downstream value and reduce import reliance.

The session, 'Petrochemicals: Opportunities Beyond Refining', will discuss how India's petrochemical industry can unlock new growth avenues by moving beyond traditional refining, diversifying into high-value downstream products, and strengthening global competitiveness through innovation, sustainability, and strategic investments.

Key discussion points include: The crude-to-chemicals (C2C) paradigm shift; High-value downstream and specialty polymers; Downstream value addition & MSME linkages; Decarbonization and circular economy; Alternative feedstocks: coal gasification; Infrastructure and government incentives; and Global supply chain shifts and resilience.

Among the distinguished speakers are Shankar Sharan, Group GM (Production) & Head - Refinery & Petrochemicals, ONGC; Saugata Chaudhuri, Head – Petrochemicals, HPCL; Prasanna Pandit, President – Operations & Technical, NOCIL; Nilesh S. Kandalkar, General Manager - Petchem Process, BPCL; and Gaurang Mishra, Joint Director, Centre for High Technology, MoPNG. The session will be moderated by Sudeep Maheshwari, Partner, Kearney. 

The conference is supported by Country Partners -Business Sweden – The Swedish Trade & Invest Council and Flanders Investment & Trade; Principal Partner- DCM Shriram Chemicals; Platinum Partner - Premier Tech; Gold Partners - Dürr, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd. (GFL), Indo Borax Chemicals, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Revvity Signals, and Superform Chemistries; HSE Partner- Netradyne; Banking Partner - DBS Bank; Associate Partners - Epsilon, Fanqun, Godavari Biorefineries Ltd., and SarthhakAI; Supporting Partners - Calibre Chemicals, Excel Industries, and JM Baxi Marine Services; Event Tech Partner- EZBIZ Technologies; and Media Partner - Indian Pharma Post.