DuPont Plans New R&D Center in Hyderabad, India
NEW DELHI, India, HYDERABAD, India and WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 1 -- DuPont today announced plans to invest over Rs 100 crores ($22.5 million) to construct its first research and development center in India. The DuPont Knowledge Center will be located in Hyderabad and is expected to accommodate more than 300 scientists and other employees.
"The DuPont Knowledge Center in India will focus on discovery research as well as applications development in a variety of areas," said DuPont Senior Vice President and Chief Science&Technology Officer Dr. Uma Chowdhry. "This location will allow us to engage some of the world's top scientific talent in bringing better innovation to both global and local DuPont customers faster."
DuPont has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICICI Knowledge Park for a long-term lease that will allow DuPont to construct its own R&D facility on 15 acres of land in the park. The groundbreaking is slated for March and is expected to be fully operational in early 2008.
The DuPont Knowledge Center will provide the needed research and development capabilities for DuPont to assist in business growth in India and surrounding countries. It will be the seventh major DuPont R&D facility outside the United States. Other major DuPont R&D facilities are located in Shanghai, China; Utsunomiya, Japan; Hsinchu, Taiwan; Wuppertal, Germany; Meyrin, Switzerland and Kingston, Canada.
Research at the site will focus on "integrated science" -- the addition of biology to traditional strengths in chemistry and materials science -- to develop the company's application pipeline in India and other emerging markets. The site initially will focus on molecular biology, bio-informatics and polymer synthesis, with further R&D in the company's application pipeline across all five of its business growth platforms.
"The establishment of the DuPont Knowledge Center in India is consistent with our company's strategy of going where the growth is," said Balvinder Singh Kalsi, president, DuPont India. "Our intent is to leverage Indian science and engineering talent for the benefit of DuPont customers and shareholders."
DuPont has appointed Homi Bhedwar as director of the Knowledge Center. Prior to relocating to Hyderabad, Dr. Bhedwar held R&D leadership positions in DuPont Electronic&Communication Technologies at the company's headquarters in Wilmington, Del. Most recently, he led a range of initiatives designed to support high-growth DuPont businesses.
The DuPont Knowledge Center is expected to house research programs for several businesses in addition to molecular biology research for DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. Other DuPont businesses include Crop Protection; Chemical Solutions Enterprise; Electronic Technologies; Surfaces; Building Innovations; Titanium Technologies and Performance Coatings.
Globally, DuPont has more than 75 R&D facilities with over 40 in the United States and more than 35 in 11 other nations. DuPont invests an average of $1.3 billion annually on global research and development in a diverse range of technologies for many markets including agriculture, automotive, construction, electronics, chemicals and industrial materials. Today, DuPont has more than 4,400 scientists and engineers around the world.
DuPont India is a subsidiary of its American parent. DuPont's relationship with India began in 1802 when it received its first shipment of raw materials from India to produce black powder for explosives. Today, DuPont India markets a wide range of products in varied market segments. With close to 700 employees, DuPont India is growing at a rate of more than 25 percent annually. DuPont India has seven production facilities in three locations representing Crop Protection, Engineering Polymers, Liquid Packaging Systems, Refinish automotive paints and Pioneer businesses.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.