Hempel, one of the world’s leading industrial and marine paint suppliers, is expanding its operations in the Indian subcontinent. With the opening of a new manufacturing unit in Nashik, Maharashtra, Hempel is strengthening its manufacturing capabilities and presence in the Indian subcontinent. The company also plans to invest approximately €15-20 million in a greenfield project over a period of three years.

Expansion in the Indian market is an important element within Hempel’s business strategy, One Hempel – One Ambition. “We are excited to expand our presence in the Indian subcontinent and supply not only India, but also Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Nepal,” said Kim Junge Andersen, CFO, Hempel. “We’ve had very positive experiences with our organization in India and the new plant will significantly boost our ability to serve our growing customer base in this region.”

The new plant will feature the latest in environmentally friendly coating production equipment, including a semi-automatic powder handling system, an automatic liquid dosing system and a solvent recovery unit.

Designed to house raw materials and the finished product under one roof, the one-building factory is spread across a 1,500 square-meter plot. Under one shift operation, the factory will produce 1.5 million liters annually. If further capacity is required, the factory can operate with two shifts to raise production capacity to 2.4 million liters.

The factory is fitted with the latest manufacturing equipment designed for maximum productivity. The bar code system installed in the factory will enable faster traceability of raw materials and finished goods.

“India is a very important market for Hempel and the expansion will fast-track our growth in the region,” said Umesh Singh, director, Hempel South Asia. “While Hempel already has a large share of the global market in segments including wind turbines, cranes and infrastructures, India has also seen rapid growth in these segments. We look forward to supplying the protective and marine coatings to the growing markets for these segments in South Asia. In these markets, our goal is to double our 2010 turnover to above €18 million by 2013, and to triple turnover to more than €25 million by the end of 2015.”

With a strong presence in India, Hempel can supply clients such as Gamesa, Suzlon, Enercon, Siemens, Welspun, JSW, PSL, Larsen & Toubro Ltd., ONGC, IOCL, Crompton Greaves, ABB, Alstom, Essar, Punj Lloyd, as well as major ship owners and all leading shipyards including Bharati, L&T and ABG.

“With the new greenfield plant, we hope to increase our product assortment and provide a mix of standard and specialized products for the local market,” said Andersen. “The plant will be instrumental in meeting goals for our company as well as for our customers. We want to build a strong presence in India and be a part of the exciting growth that’s taking place there.”

The Denmark based multi-national company, Hempel is in the midst of a strong growth strategy. The company has recently acquired Crown Paints Ltd., a leading UK-based decorative paints company, and established manufacturing plants in Russia and Argentina.