Today, specialty chemicals group Lanxess opened Asia's most state-of-the-art plant for ion exchange resins in India.

The new plant was constructed over a period of two years in the new chemical park in Jhagadia in the Indian state of Gujarat. It boasts an annual capacity of 35,000 metric tons.

Around 200 employees from the Ion Exchange Resins (ION) business unit manufacture products for industrial water treatment for the semi-conductor and pharmaceutical industries, the food sector and the power industry.

The opening marked the successful completion of the second expansion phase in Jhagadia. The first project phase, which was completed in March of this year, saw a rubber chemicals production plant taken into operation.

Overall, Lanxess has invested around €50 million in the site to date.

"Demand for clean water is set to increase by around one-third worldwide by 2030. In Asia in particular, and in India especially, demand will grow disproportionately due to rapid population growth and increasing urbanization," said Chairman of the Lanxess Board of Management Axel C Heitmann at the official opening ceremony, which was also attended by the State Premier of the Indian state of Gujarat. "Production has therefore started at exactly the right time to benefit from this development."