FMC Corp opens Hyd facility

To supply compounds for bulk drug manufacturing.

US-based $2.3 billion FMC Corp, which makes chemicals for various applications, on Monday opened its first factory in Hyderabad to manufacture organolithium compounds, which are used primarily for making bulk drugs.

Organolithium, which is a lithium-based compound, is used in drugs for treating cardio-vascular diseases and HIV infection.

This new unit is an addition to its lithium and agriculture products division, which are part of FMC India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMC Corp set up in 2000. FMC also runs a biopolymer division in India directly under the purview of FMC Corp.

According to FMC, it has invested around $15 million in India since setting up the biopolymer division in 1995.

The new unit has been set up with an investment of about $3 million. "We supply lithium chemicals to almost all the big pharmaceutical companies in India that make bulk drugs. With the opening of this unit, it will be easier for us to service these companies," FMC India Private Ltd, Country Manager, Soumitra Purkayastha, said.

This unit will be under the purview of FMC's lithium division. Though the factory was inaugurated on Monday, it will be fully operational from next month.

According to Purkayastha, nearly 50 of the FMC products are being used in the pharmaceuticals exported from India. In the future, the company also plans to export the organolithium it will produce at its Hyderabad unit to the rest of Asia.

"We are also increasing our spend on process R&D, which is done at our centre in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, because it is so cost-effective in India. We will increase our investment in people and equipment at the R&D centre gradually," he told Business Standard.

FMC is also looking at furthering its reach in the Indian energy storage devices market. The company makes battery grade lithium metal, which is used in lithium batteries.

At present, it imports and supplies this battery grade lithium metal to the defence sector and it is looking to supply this to commercial battery manufacturers as well.

"With so many mobile manufacturers setting up base in India, we are also looking to supply them for commercial practices," he said.

FMC, through its agriculture products division supplies insecticides and herbicides to the agriculture industry in India. "This is an area of intense focus for us and we expect this sector also to be a big growth driver," he added.