Indian chemical and pharmaceutical groups are positioning themselves as an alternative to China as the coronavirus crisis prompts companies to diversify their supply chains.
Vinati Mutreja, managing director and chief of Mumbai-based Vinati Organics, a niche chemicals manufacturer whose clients include Germany’s BASF and Dow’s chemical subsidiary, said orders for an essential ingredient in the painkiller ibuprofen had surged 25 per cent since February.
Ms Mutreja said there had been increasing interest from companies seeking to shift their supply chains. “Many of them have been dependent on China for a long time and they are looking for an alternative,” said the 36-year-old. “The natural thing is going to India.”