India

A leading Tier I parts supplier in India has chosen Zytel Plus Nylon from DuPont (Wilmington, DE) for use in three hot- and cold-side charge air coolers used on four vehicles of a major Indian auto OEM spanning passenger car, utility vehicle, and light commercial vehicle segments.

In anticipation of increase levels of offshore automobile production on the part of Japanese OEMs, diversified Tier I manufacturer and Toyota group affiliate Aisin Seiki (Toyota, Japan) is establishing two new parts manufacturing subsidiaries in India.

Polypropylene (PP) prices in Asia last week were hammered lower, dropping due to muted regional buying, plentiful availability and softer feedstock costs, according to Polymerupdate. CFR Far East Asia prices of PP injection and raffia fell to $1255/tonne, a steep tumble of more than $60/tonne on the week. In South East Asia, prices of PP injection and PP raffia were assessed down at $1260/tonne CFR while CFR South Asia prices were assessed down at $1330/tonne.

Extrusion equipment supplier Reifenhäuser made its 100^th year in business its best, notching new record numbers in revenue and total orders. Sales revenue was 12% higher in 2011 thant in the previous record year, while new orders in 2010/2011jumped gaudy 50%-plus from the previous high water mark. Reifenhäuser (Troisdorf, Germany) noted that high double-digit growth rates were achieved in almost all of its product groups.

Polypropylene (PP) prices firmed in Asia last week but doubts have surfaced on the sticking power of the increase. PP prices rose on firmer propylene costs and improved demand in the key markets of India and China. On Thursday, PP injection and raffia grades were assessed at $1400/tonne CFR Far East, down from Wednesday but up more than $25/tonne on the week. PP film prices hit $1410/tonne CFR Far East Asia while block copolymer prices were assessed at $1385/tonne CFR Far East Asia.

This month will see the inaugural edition of MEDTEC India, a new trade show focused on the country's fast-moving medical device market. In addition to the exhibition, slated for Oct. 19-20, a 1-day conference will be organized on the 19^th.

A new report details the leaders in India's flexible packaging industry as well as helps processors to identify some of the opportunities the country offers them. According to the new report from PCI Film Consulting, India's flexible packaging market represents a $3 billion/yr market growing at a 15%/yr clip through 2015.

India appears to be the hottest market nowadays for automotive investment, with the latest company to break ground on a new assembly facility and engine plant being Ford Motor (Detroit). The $900 million complex will be located in the Sanand automotive cluster, where Peugeot (Paris, France) recently announced its intention to build an assembly facility.

The Indian state of Gujarat is set to welcome an investment of €650 million ($914 million) from Peugeot (Paris, France) in an automobile assembly facility plus engine/gearbox plant to be constructed on a 600-acre site in the heart of the rapidly developing Sanand automotive cluster near the city of Ahmedabad. The complex will have initial capacity for 170,000 vehicles annually.

Engel has opened a sales and technical center in Mumbai, India, offering the burgeoning local injection molding and automation market machine demonstrations, customer trials, pre-production, and mold trials. The business, Engel Machinery India Pvt. Ltd. will be headed by Jitendra Devlia  and be located in a new and significantly larger space that's close to Mumbai International Airport in the Andheri East district of the city.