Dyes and Pigments Industry in India

Posted By Team MCG On

 

The Indian dyestuffs and pigments industry has transformed from being import dependent to an export driven industry. Developed countries are now focusing on sourcing dyestuffs and pigments from cost-effective Asian markets, owing to stringent measures taken on environmental issues back home. Exports have grown in double digit over the last few years.

The Indian dyestuff industry which was primarily established to meet the requirements of the textile industry has now expanded catering to several end user segments such as printing, leather; construction and automobile sectors. Some of the restraints for the industry are raw material volatility as well as environmental concerns.

Going forward, availability of skilled professionals and low cost of manufacturing coupled with R&D capabilities are seen as strong demand drivers for the dyestuff and pigments industry in India. Several multinational corporations have established facilities with world-class technologies with a view to tap the growing market. Growth in the end user segments, especially paints and coatings as well as textiles, is expected to drive the growth in the dyestuffs and pigments industry.

Trends in Dyes and Pigments Production (2008-13)
(Units in ‘000 metric tonnes)

Dyers and pigments 2

Source: Chemicals and Petrochemicals Statistics: 2014
Pigments included are Organic pigments, optical whitening agents and pigment emulsion

The Indian dyestuffs industry meets more than 95% of the domestic requirements.Textile industry is the leading end user segment followed by other end user segments such as paper, leather and other consumer industries.

The main end user of pigments in India are printing inks, plastics, rubber, paints and coatings.Among inorganic pigments, consumption of carbon black was estimated 431,000 tonnes and titanium dioxide consumption stood at around 61,000 tonnes in 2013-14.High performance pigments (HPP) and special effect pigments, such as metallic and pearlescent, are used as automotive coatings and are currently a nascent market in India.

The Indian dyestuff and pigments industry is highly fragmented with large number of small players in the unorganized sector. There are around 50 players in large scale and organised sector, located mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Some of the key players in the Indian dyes and pigments industry are Atul Ltd., BASF, Bodal Chemicals Ltd., Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd., Golchha Pigments, Kiri Industries Ltd., Meghmani Dyes and Intermediaries, Pidilite Industries Ltd., Rathi Dye Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd.