CHENNAI, India, Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - BASF Catalysts India Private Limited (BCIL), a subsidiary of BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS), has inaugurated a new Research, Development and Application (RD&A) lab at its site in Mahindra World City, Tamil Nadu, Chennai. The strategic investment is focused on the development of emissions control catalysts that are tailored to the unique needs of the Indian automotive market.

“This new RD&A lab will enable the development of market-specific catalyst formulations that meet the unique needs of the Indian market with agility and flexibility,” said Saeed Alerasool, Senior Vice President of RD&A for ECMS. “With this investment, ECMS is well positioned to help our customers respond to changes resulting from fuel diversification as well as stricter tailpipe emissions requirements, and ensures our readiness to support future automotive technologies.”

The opening of the new lab is a pivotal step aligned with India's evolving automotive industry and the Indian government's focus on diversifying fuel sources including further adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and renewable biofuels and hydrogen. This requires local Original Equipment Manufacturers to launch flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on any biofuel-gasoline mix. Additionally, the upcoming stricter emissions requirements pose new challenges for automakers in India.

“With this new lab within our Chennai site, BCIL is able to provide end-to-end support to our customers, from initial catalyst development to final product delivery,” said Sujan Saha, Business Head India and Head of South East Asia, Mobile Emissions Catalysts. “This also enhances our local ability to cater to the specific needs of Indian customers and address their needs more quickly.”

Dirk Bremm, President and CEO of ECMS (front right) and Saeed Alerasool, Senior Vice President of RD&A for ECMS (front left), inaugurated the opening of the new RD&A lab in Chennai, India. They were joined by other ECMS leaders including Daniel Wussow, Senior Vice President of Mobile Emissions Catalysts (middle left) and Sujan Saha, Business Head India and Head of South East Asia, Mobile Emissions Catalysts (left of Saeed).

About BASF Catalysts India Private Limited
BASF Catalysts India Private Limited (BCIL), the Indian subsidiary of BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS), is a leading provider of catalysts for the Indian automotive market. Starting its operations in 1998, BCIL was a pioneer in the automotive emissions industry with the first catalyst manufacturing plant in India. BCIL manufactures and supplies emissions control catalysts for the automotive market from its site in Mahindra World City, south of Chennai. The research and development of mobile emissions catalysts is supported by six global RD&A centres across ECMS.

About BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions
Leveraging its deep expertise as a global leader in catalysis and precious metals, BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) serves customers in many industries including automotive, aerospace, indoor air quality, semiconductors, and hydrogen economy, and provides full loop services with its precious metals trading and recycling offering. With a focus on circular solutions and sustainability, ECMS is committed to helping our customers create a cleaner, more sustainable world. Protecting the elements of life is our purpose and this inspires us to ever-new solutions. ECMS operates globally in 16 countries with over 4,500 employees and 21 production sites.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cdbcd46-d725-4405-a875-3bfdf55aeabe