Henkel Adhesives Technologies India Private Ltd. has announced the unveiling of its new production facility at Kurkumbh, near Pune, that will cater mostly to domestic demand. The firm has invested €50 million to set up the first two phases and will invest another €50 million in the next five years.
This facility will serve the growing demand for high-performance solutions in adhesives, sealants and surface treatment products.
With a built-up area of 51,000 sq meters, this site is India’s largest adhesive manufacturing facility and it will further increase Henkel´s capabilities to serve customers across markets, including flexible packaging, automotive, agriculture and construction equipment, general industry and metals, top company officials said.
More demand is likely come from electric vehicles, connected vehicles that would need more adhesives than vehicles with internal combustion engines. E-commerce packaging is also creating additional demand for adhesives, they added.
“India is one of the most important emerging markets with tremendous growth opportunities for our adhesives business” said Jan-Dirk Auris, member of the management board and executive vice-president, adhesive technologies business unit, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA.
“With the launch of this multi-technology manufacturing facility, we have created capacities to meet the demands for our high-impact solutions in this dynamic market. This investment will enable us to further drive profitable growth,” he added.
The site is equipped with technologies to ensure traceability and transparency by ensuring built-in quality. End-to-end digitalisation of the plant operations has enabled digitised workflows; thus, making manufacturing more efficient. For the first time, as a global pilot in Henkel, the site has implemented deep integration of process automation with Smart Factory (Industry 4.0).
Shilip Kumar, president, Henkel India said, “We will continue to invest in local manufacturing, as it gives our adhesive technologies business in India a strategic advantage. This site will not only cater to the Indian market but also markets in geographic proximity such as the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. As market leaders in this industry, our focus is to offer high-impact solutions to our customers and thereby convert latent market potential into profitable growth.”
