Page 138 - CW E-Magazine (4-2-2025)

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MARKET RE-ENTRY

Master Builders Solutions looks to tap growth opportunities
in Indian construction chemicals market

Master Builders Solutions, a The company is setting up a facility
Germany-based provider of concrete to produce construction chemicals in
admixtures and other construction Taloja, near Mumbai. The company is
chemicals, that was earlier a part of investing around Rs. 20-crore in plant
the BASF group, is entering the Indian and machinery at the facility, which
market with plans to expand operations would also include a research and
over the next one year. development centre. The company is
targeting a turnover of around Rs. 400-
The brand, whose India business 500 crore by 2028.
was sold to Sika Group in 2023, is
re-entering the market amid a boom in Master Builders Solutions, a BASF
infrastructure spending in India. brand, became a standalone company
after BASF spun off its construction
“India is a market ripe with oppor- Mr. Himanshu Kapadia, Cluster chemicals division in 2023. In India,
tunities and potential for growth,” said Head of India, Middle East and Turkey, Master Builders Solutions assets were
Dr. Boris Gorella, CEO and Chairman added, “Through strategic investments, sold to its Swiss fi rm Sika, with a two-
of the Board of Management at Master local partnerships, and a deep under- year restriction on using the brand. During
Builders Solutions. “As a leading pro- standing of the Indian market dyna- this period, Sika operated the assets
vider of concrete admixtures globally, mics, Master Builders Solutions aims and worked to convert customers. Now,
we are excited to bring our expertise to establish itself as a trusted partner for with the restriction lifted, Master Buil-
and innovative solutions to support construction professionals, developers, ders Solutions has re-entered the Indian
India’s growing construction sector.” and contractors in India.” market under its original brand.
PROJECT PROGRESS

HPCL targets year-end for commissioning Barmer refi nery-
petchem complex

State-run Hindustan Petroleum Cor- over by September 2025. Following that HRRL has executed a loan agreement
poration Ltd. (HPCL) said that it expects commissioning will happen. By December under consortium arrangement for
the full commissioning of the refi nery- 2025, we expect commissioning of the Rs. 48,625-crore. The total project cost
cum-petrochemicals complex at Barmer refi nery.” HPCL’s Director (Finance) is Rs. 72,937-crore.
(Rajasthan) by end of the current calen- and Additional Charge of CMD Mr.
dar year. The oil marketing company Rajneesh Narang, Director (Refi neries) The complex will produce fuels
(OMC) expects full benefi ts of the Mr. S. Bharathan and Director (Corpo- such as BS-VI grade motor spirit (MS or
refi nery to accrue by March 2027. rate Finance) and CFO Mr. K Vinod petrol), BS-VI grade high speed diesel
answered analyst questions. (HSD or diesel) and petrochemicals
HPCL holds 74 percent stake in like polypropylene, butadiene, LLDPE,
HPCL Rajasthan Refi nery Ltd. (HRRL), HPCL has made around HDPE, benzene and toluene.
while Rajasthan government holds 26 Rs. 13,000-crore in equity contributions
percent in the complex, which has a so far for the refi nery, while the to- Visakh refi nery
9-mn tonnes per annum (mtpa) crude tal contribution to be made is about BPCL management also said that it is
refi ning capacity, including 2.4-mtpa of Rs. 18,000-crore. The investment working on “de-bottlenecking” the Visakh
petrochemicals. Speaking at an analyst commitment made so far for HRRL is (Visakhapatnam) refi nery, which will
call, the HPCL management said, “We around Rs. 71,800-crore and its total help in enhancing its capacity to around
expect mechanical completion to be debt is about Rs. 34,000-crore. 17-mtpa from the current 13.7-mtpa.

138 Chemical Weekly February 4, 2025

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