Page 180 - CW E-Magazine (25-3-2025)

India Chemical Industry Outlook Conference 2025 India Chemical Industry Outlook Conference 2025

STRATEGIC SHIFT

Embracing sustainability, advanced data management

and regulatory compliances to aid in mitigating risks

and unlock new opportunities

Sustainability practices with key Mr. Raoul Meys, Managing Direc-
emphasis on circularity and decarboni- tor of Germany-based Carbon Minds,
sation, digitalisation of operations, regu- which undertakes emissions account-
latory & safety compliances, tackling ing and environmental assessments for
supply chain disruptions and human products and companies in the chemi- “embedding sustainability thinking right “Compliance with international
resource development were some of cal value chain, underlined the impor- at the innovation phase itself.” regulations is crucial for achieving sus-
the recurring topics of debate in panel tance of tracking and calculating supply tainability goals, new market entry, and
discussions and presentations made by chain emissions to remain competitive. Leveraging technology gaining consumer trust,” he said. “Non-
industry experts during the second day He gave the example of propylene pro- Mr. Deepak Jain, CEO & MD, compliance can lead to signifi cant penal-
of the conference. duction to indicate how differences Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd., spoke about ties, including product recalls and
between emissions vary between 0.8-kg digital transformation in the chemical brand damage. Global pressures from
and 11-kg of CO e per kilogram of industry, highlighting the need for data authorities, investors, and environmental
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propylene produced, driven by factors and technology to enhance effi ciency, policy makers are also driving the need Mr. Umesh Dhake, Associate
Director, BASF India Ltd., stressed that like feedstock used, direct emissions, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. for compliance,” he added. Director, Asia, Middle East, Oceania &
the chemicals giant’s Verbund model electricity, etc. “Competitiveness and He estimated that only 30% of compa- Africa Region, Center for Chemical
provides a scalable and competitive robust emissions accounting go hand in nies across sectors have seen meaning- He emphasised the need for stan- Process Safety (CCPS), emphasised
pathway to transition from grey to blue hand,” he stressed. ful impacts from digital transformation dardising frameworks and policies to the need for a “top-down approach” for
to green feedstocks. “Renewable energy, initiatives, with the chemical industry align with international acceptance mastering process safety and called on
circularity and CO abatement are the In a study conducted with its part- facing additional challenges due to out- standards. Dr. Nair also pointed to the the leadership of organisations to
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pillars of our green transformation ners, Carbon Minds assessed the cost dated assets, ineffi cient data collection necessity for capacity building and engage in contributing to process safety
strategy,” he remarked and added, “Not and feasibility of different climate and resistance to change. policy support from the government to outcomes. An effective process safety
only are we aiming to become greener, neutrality pathways for the chemical aid growth of SMEs in the chemical management system can not only help
but we want to help our customers also sector, which showed the infl uence of “Despite these challenges, digi- sector. “Providing support to SMEs with avoid incidents; it is key to ensuring
to become greener.” different enablers like CCS, net-zero tal analytics can signifi cantly impact skilled resources for meeting compli- effi cient, reliable and robust operations,
electricity, hydrogen and CO as a the industry positively, both commer- ance requirements is crucial,” he he said.
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feedstock on emissions and cost. “This cially and environmentally,” he said observed.
study can serve as a reference for com- and shared the digital transformation Mr. Yatendra Lodha, Group Head –
panies to ascertain where they stand in journey of Jubilant. “Our digital trans- Professor A.B. Pandit, Vice Chan- Safety & Operational Risk, Reliance
Speaking during a panel on sustain- the competitive board for future formation programme required signi- cellor, Institute of Chemical Techno- Industries Ltd., also stressed the role of
ability, Mr. Ashwin Shroff, Chairman, climate neutrality,” he said and under- fi cant changes in operations, team col- logy, pointed out that “compliance and effective leadership in building a strong
Excel Industries Ltd. said sustainability lined the various options available to laboration, and the implementation of sustainability are not necessarily region operating culture incorporating safety.
goals can be achieved by developing achieve climate neutrality in India and new tools and technologies. Resistance specifi c, they are global.” “If you want
strategies to shift from fossil-derived to globally. to change was encountered, but cross- to grow your business and be accept- Later, during a panel discussion on
bio-derived raw materials – bio-CNG, cultural teams helped push new ideas able globally, compliance is indeed building resilient supply chains in the
instead of natural gas, syn-gas based In her address, Ms. Elizabeth Grove, and technologies into the business,” he mandated,” he said. chemicals industry, Mr. Tim Doggett,
on bio-resources, etc. – greening of Chief Sustainability Officer, Vice informed. Chief Executive, Chemical Business
processes & technologies, aiding new President – Public Affairs, Lubrizol, Leadership’s role in process safety Association, UK, said, “Supply chain
application development, exploring emphasised how India is a high-growth Regulatory compliance During a panel on process safety, resilience is always important, but with
newer & cleaner business models espe- region for the company which has Dr. Jayachandran Nair, CEO, GPC leading industry practitioners shared today’s geopolitical uncertainty, dra-
cially decentralised production models continued to ramp up investments in India, discussed the role of regulations their experiences and insights on learn- matic shift in trade policies, the impo-
to reduce waste, amongst others. the country, and later spoke about how in preventing harmful effects of growth ing from external/internal accidents sition of tariffs and counter-tariffs, and
the American speciality chemicals and creating benchmarks for industry and translating these fi ndings into insti- the disruption of long-standing rela-
Mr. Alexander Gerding, Managing major has followed the strategy of compliance. tutional knowledge. tionships, it is more critical than ever.”

180 Chemical Weekly March 25, 2025 Chemical Weekly March 25, 2025 181

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