 "Danish firm Novozymes plans Rs 300-cr enzymes facility near Mumbai")
The Denmark-based enzymes maker Novozymes will invest approximately DKK 300 million (Rs 300 crore) in a new manufacturing facility at Patalganga industrial area near Mumbai to accommodate business growth in the region and a consequent increase in production & supply chain needs. The company’s new enzyme production and supply chain facility, which is expected to be ready for operation in 2018, will employ 150 people in the first phase.
“We see a big opportunity in India and South-East Asia, where knowledge-based innovations in the field of industrial enzymes can effectively replace polluting chemical processes and deliver environmental sustainability. Our business in the region has been growing strongly for years, to a point where we have outgrown current facilities and need to expand for the future. We have chosen the new area for its size, proximity to customers, future business opportunities and good accessibility to ports, airports, highways and other industrial infrastructure,” commented Thomas Videbaek, executive vice president & COO, research, innovation & supply at Novozymes.
The new plant will produce enzymes using solid state fermentation and will also formulate enzymes imported from the company’s production sites outside India. At present, the key business areas for Novozymes in India are the household care, textiles, food & beverages, oil & fats, baking, and beverage alcohol markets.
Danish firm has been present in India since 1983 and currently occupies three sites in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The solid state fermentation and supply chain operations for the region will now move to the new production site near Mumbai, while all other functions will remain in Bengaluru, including Novozymes’ Indian head office, research & development centre and the service centres which provide support to global operations.
Videbaek added, “We will maintain some of our key functions in Bengaluru, which has proven to be a great base for pushing sustainable, biological solutions to India and beyond. From now on, we will have two main sites in the country, and as we discover more Asian opportunities for our solutions, we look forward to developing both our presence in Bengaluru and Mumbai.”
Novozymes currently has around 560 employees across all functions in India. The company expects the new site at Patalganga near Mumbai will start operations with approximately 150 employees, some of whom will be relocated from the company’s existing sites in Bengaluru. Initially, the new site near Mumbai will continue with the same activities carried out in Bengaluru today, although with higher capacity in both production and supply chain.
In India, Novozymes makes pectinase enzymes, which are used in the wine and juice industries to squeeze more juice from the fruit and improve production processes. It also formulates other enzyme types in India to cater to local market needs.
