Page 134 - CW E-Magazine (1-7-2025)

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CHEMICAL CONCLAVE

‘Maharashtra can take steps to regain pole position

in India’s chemical industry’

The Government of Maharashtra
can and must take steps to revitalize
the chemical industry in the State, and
regain its status as a leading producer
of chemicals and allied products. The
State, which nurtured some of the ear-
liest investments in India’s chemical
industry, has lost ground to neighbouring
Gujarat due several factors including
inadequate infrastructure, lack of access
to feedstock, as well as government
apathy.

Speakers at the Chemical Conclave
2.0 organised by ASSOCHAM, an
industry lobby group, in Mumabi on June
24, called for revival of long-delayed Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) and to look to waste valorisation, so as to
projects including the 60-mtpa mega- Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. mitigate loads on end-of-pipe treatment
refi nery planned by the public sector (HPCL) – resulted in the setting up of facilities and at the same time gene-
refi neries, as well as other downstream an ammonia-based fertilizer project by rate economic value from waste streams
projects for fi ne & speciality chemicals, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers stemming from operations.
and active pharmaceutical ingredients Ltd. (RCF), as also several other small-
(APIs). to mid-sized units in the Thane-Belapur ‘Signifi cant policy reforms’
belt using refi ned products and chemi- Dr. P. Anbalagan, Secretary, Minis-
Prof. M.M. Sharma, Former Direc- cals from the refi neries as feedstocks. try of Industry, Government of Maha-
tor, Institute of Chemical Technology, rashtra, highlighted some of the policy
who was the Chief Guest, described Prof. Sharma called for measures reforms that are being fast-tracked by
Chembur and Thane-Belapur areas in to facilitate the expansion of the Nago- the State. These include decrimina-
and around Mumbai, respectively, as thane gas cracker from its current lizing civil violations by businesses;
historical hubs of signifi cant chemical size of about 300-ktpa (of ethylene) to easing of regulatory norms; and im-
manufacturing activity, which projects 800-ktpa, as also a doubling of RCF’s proving the ease-of-doing-business.
were aided by the pro-active efforts of ammonia/urea manufacturing capacity The government is also carrying out a
industrial promotion agencies such as at Thal, Maharashtra. “Companies major overhaul of industrial estates in
Maharashtra Industrial Development located in the MIDC estates must be the State and planning dedicated chemi-
Corporation (MIDC), and State Indus- encouraged to expand capacity by cal zones for speciality chemicals and
trial & Investment Corporation of 30-40% subject to environmental clea- pharmaceuticals, if necessary, with
Maharashtra Limited (SICOM). rance, which must be expedited.” Viability Gap Funding. “We are also
looking to develop coal gasifi cation-
With the landfall point for the He also called for efforts to revive based industries in the Chandrapur
Bombay High gas pipeline falling at the proposed 60-mtpa refi nery mooted and Gadchiroli Districts, which have
Uran in the State, it was logical to set by the public sector refi neries in India, abundant reserves of coal,” he added.
up India’s fi rst gas cracker at nearby but which has been languishing for
Nagothane, Prof. Sharma noted. At the some time now. ‘Private sector investment seen key’
same time, the presence of two State-run Mr. Praveen Pardeshi, CEO,
refi neries in Chembur – one each of Bharat He also urged chemical companies Maharashtra Institution for Transformation

134 Chemical Weekly July 1, 2025

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