BASF to strengthen its automotive business in India

BASF announced its plans this Tuesday (May 6) to expand its offerings for the automotive industry in India with investments in plants and technology. The company will build a new engineering plastics compounding plant at its existing site in Thane, India, which is expected to come on stream by the second half of 2009. As well as being used in the automotive industry, engineering plastics are also employed in the electrical and electronics industries, for example.

BASF has also set up a computer aided engineering (CAE) lab in Thane where its engineers design and optimise new engineering plastic parts in close cooperation with customers.

Further, BASF Coatings commissioned a new Refinish Color Lab at Mangalore, India, in February 2008, and is expanding its e-coat facilities, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Also underway is the expansion of BASF's catalyst plant in Chennai, India. The plant will triple its capacity by 2009, as announced in August 2007.