Germany's Henkel to invest Rs 220-cr to build India's largest adhesives plant near Pune

Henkel, the Germany-based producer of adhesives, sealants and functional coatings, is setting up India’s largest adhesives manufacturing plant in Kurkumbh, near Pune with an investment of Euro 30 million (approximately Rs 220 crores). The new plant, which is expected to start production by early 2017, will have an annual capacity of about 80,000 metric tonnes of adhesives and surface treatment products.
 
According to officials of Henkel Adhesive Technologies India Pvt Ltd, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Henkel, the plant will cater to the various end user segments such as automotive, metal and industrial sectors.
 
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister, with Jeremy Hunter, president, Henkel Group India, will lay the foundation of the plant during a ground breaking ceremony scheduled on June 11, 2015, at Kurkumbh.
 
The Kurkumbh plant, being built in a phased manner, will have an operational area of about 20,000 square meters in the first phase. Henkel reportedly claims to have 40 percent market share in the Indian adhesives segment and, with the new plant, it aims to further consolidate its position in India.
 
Jeremy Hunter commented, “The Kurkumbh plant is a very important milestone of Henkel’s journey in India. This plant will enable us to localise our product portfolio and reduce imports while bringing the best global technology to India. Considering the proximity of the plant to our customers, it will also help us to work closely with them in developing solutions. We are aiming to win a greater market share in India, which is one of the biggest emerging markets for us.”
 
Speaking about India business, Hunter said that the company has doubled its revenue in the country in the last five years, and aims to double it again in the next five years.
 
The new plant, which will be its tenth plant in India, is also part of Henkel’s global strategy to strengthen the presence in emerging markets with focussed investments. With this the company will expand its existing category positions and accelerate growth in countries where it already has a strong presence. Henkel aims to continue achieving above-average growth in these markets and to generate net sales of Euro 10 billion there by the end of 2016.
 
Henkel’s Kurkumbh plant will be a model for sustainability and efficiency. The plant will be LEED certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and will follow the highest SHE (safety, health & environment) standards. This will ensure best-in-class services for our customers, and at the same time ensure quality, improve productivity and efficiency.
 
Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business units -laundry & home care, beauty care and adhesive technologies.