DuPont India aims to earn a billion dollar revenue by 2012-13 riding on agriculture, automotive and industrial biotechnology business in the country, Balvinder Singh Kalsi, president, south Asia, DuPont, said.
Kalsi told Financial Chronicle here on Monday that DuPont India proposed to partner premier research organisations like the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), under PPP programme to augment agriculture production in India.
He said the company would more than double the scientist headcount at its Hyderabad based DuPont Knowledge Centre over the next three year period to develop new range of products for the domestic market primarily in agriculture business vertical as also feed global research projects for new products for the diversified businesses of the company. The company has 300 scientists at its facility in Hyderabad.
Kalsi said the firm, which earned $ 500 million revenue here last year, intended to log about $ 600 million plus this year, driving closer to the target to feature India as among the top five global markets for the diversified American multinational. It currently ranks tenth in the DuPont global ranking.
The DuPont India chief said: “With nearly more than a third of our India revenues coming from the agriculture segment, we propose to consolidate and grow our presence in the seeds and the crop protection markets. Last year we made our first major acquisition here in the cottonseed segment involving Nandi Seeds and Nagarjuna Seeds.” We have an open mind on more acquisitions should there be a fitment, he said and added that the company launched so far this year a series of six crop protection products and more would come during the year.
He said: “We have approached the government for collaboration with its security agencies for supply of our ballistic range of products. We are in talks but there are certain clearances required.” He added “our protection technologies offer materials and solutions to the military, para-military, industrial workers etc, while our safety resources unit works with clients like Reliance and the Tata group to upgrade the safety standards in their facilities to world-class levels.”
He said over the next three years as part of the plan to build India into the top five global markets the company would ramp up its two global centres at Hyderabad: DuPont Knowledge Centre, which focuses on science and technology, product development, working closely with customers bringing out new products and applications for India and other developing markets, working on joint projects for global research.
The Knowledge Centre would continue to focus on its three key focus areas – biotech research, materials research and engineering design services, and houses intellectual property experts who work on global projects.
© 2010 Financial Chronicle, All rights reserved
