Work on National Chemical Policy in final stages: Govt

Work on the National Chemical Policy, which would help boost the chemical sector in the country, is in the final stages, a top government official said today.
The policy is expected to help India's chemicals sector grow and become more competitive as well as place a framework for promoting safety and security of chemical facilities.
"The national chemical policy is in the final stages," Chemicals & Fertilizers Secretary Surjit Kumar Chaudhary told PTI on the sidelines of a CII seminar here.
However, he declined to comment on a timeline for the implementation of the policy.
Addressing the seminar, Chaudhary said that his Ministry "seeks to create an enabling framework to accelerate manufacturing of chemicals and petrochemicals, in order to meet the growing internal and external demands, particularly, reducing dependence on imports".

As part of the chemical policy, the Secretary also said that the government plans to to establish Indian Bureau of Corrosion Control to regulate and prevent corrosion.

As per estimates, the country loses Rs 2 lakh crore annually due to corrosion of infrastructure and other vital installations.
Chaudhary also proposed setting up a National Chemical Centre to act as a repository of information on the chemical sector.
Talking about the feedstock supply, the Secretary said there is an in-principle agreement with the Petroleum Ministry that 20 per cent of the total feedstock should be made available to downstream chemical companies.

Chaudhary also pitched for promotion of research and development with a focus on sustainability and green technologies for consistent and long-term growth.
Concerned over skilled workforce, he said there was a need to promote human resource development and skill sets for the chemical industry.
The focus of the CII seminar was 'Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Indian Speciality Chemicals Industry'.