Air Products Opens Engineering Centre in Pune; to Employ 300 Skilled Engineers

Air Products, a worldleading industrial gases company, has announced the inauguration of its world-class Engineering Centre at Pune to bridge the company’s increasing capabilities for Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) activity. The Pune Centre will provide technology and equipment for air separation, hydrogen generation and associated technologies for industrial gases applications. It will act as an EPC innovation hub for the company’s operations in India and throughout the world.

“This new center enhances and supports the development of solutions for the local market, where Air Products has had a presence for nearly two decades,” said Dr. Samir Serhan, Executive Vice President, Air Products. “We are very proud to nurture local talent and offer opportunities for local people, and in doing so support the government’s ‘Skill India’ campaign. At full capacity, we expect the center will employ 300 skilled engineers.”

“India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and Air Products is keen to be part of unlocking and harnessing this market potential as part of its global growth strategy,” said Mr. Richard Boocock, President, Industrial Gases – Middle East, India, Egypt and Turkey at Air Products. “We will continue to expand our presence in the country by maintaining strong relationships with existing business and joint venture partners; and by forging strong relationships with key stakeholders to achieve our goal of becoming the safest and best performing industrial gas company in the world providing excellent service to our customers.”

“Air Products has strategic plans to expand its operations in India. The opening of the Pune Center is a significant step forward in meeting our business goal,” said Mr. Sadhan Banerjee, Managing Director, Air Products India. “We are here to stay and grow in India. It is our commitment to this relationship.” 

Future plans

The company is investing over $100-mn in India for setting up six new liquid oxygen and nitrogen production facilities, Mr. Boocock said in an interview with the Hindu Business Line newspaper. The investment will be done through its Indian joint venture Inox Air Products. The new plants are currently at various stages of implementation and will be completed by the end of 2019 calendar year, he said.

The new facilities will be built in Chakan, Pune; Durgapur, West Bengal; Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu; Simej, Gujrat; Modinagar, UP; and Kanjikode, Kerala. Having a combined capacity of over 1,200 metric tonnes per day of liquid product, these plants will serve a variety of industry segments, including car manufacturing, iron and steel making and pharmaceuticals.