Since you assist numerous companies in manufacturing, do you see recovery in India post-Covid?
Air Products is among the leading industrial gases companies globally. Our market capitalisation is around $60 billion. That makes us one of the bigger American specialty chemical companies. Our industrial gases business is growing in double digits. Obviously, there was some disruption related to the pandemic. India is a growing market for manufacturing. The policies announced in the last few months around self-reliant India are supportive of continued growth of manufacturing in India. This means consumption of industrial gases will continue to grow. A lot of industrial gases are used in iron and steel manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, food processing, glass manufacturing, tyre production, and so on.
With Air Products and INOX Air Products ( joint venture), we are definitely the leading industrial gases companies in India. India is a developing market for industrial gases with some steelmakers owning a lot of captive capacity. Then there’s the Build Own Operate capacity that Air Products and INOX Air Products have built over the years. I think the Indian market for industrial gases is around 4,000 tonnes per day, probably around $500 million a year.
Industrial gases have numerous applications in chemical and hydrocarbon sectors. One of the areas where we have a world-leading position is gasification of coal. If India is going to gasify coal, as announced by the prime minister, to take advantage of domestic coal supplies, Air Products has a leading position in gasification technology as well as supply of oxygen to gasify the coal. This is an area where we are looking to invest — on a Build Own Operate model — to make world scale gasification complexes in India.
What is coal gasification? What are its applications?
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO MILLENNIALS GLOBALLY
Bata shoes are an integral part of almost every school-goer’s life in India. That is why most Indians believe that the brand — founded in what is now the Czech Republic in 1894 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland — is local, despite operating in over 70 countries. The company, which does a ₹3,500 crore business in the country, recently appointed India CEO Sanjiv Kataria as its global head. Kataria, who had taken over as India head in 2017 and under whom Bata India’s profits rose 46 per cent, tells Ajita Shashidhar how India’s diverse footwear consumption habits have given him a unique understanding of customer needs across the globe. Edited excerpts:
The Infra Catalyst
FM bets big on infrastructure with focus on asset monetisation and sharp rise in allocations to highways and railways
Missing Credit
Bank credit growth shows signs of uptick, backed by retail and agri loans, but is expected to remain muted in FY21 due to asset quality pressures
THE GREAT RESET
The FM has set the stage, but timely execution is critical
If Executed Well, 8% Growth Is Possible
Economists, CEOs, consultants, sector specialists interpret Nirmala Sitharaman’s ‘Never-before’ Budget
Ease Of Compliance
Income-tax slabs unchanged, but small taxpayers will enjoy procedural relief in filing ITR and resolution of disputes; High-income earners may feel the pinch though
Job Half Done
The Budget focuses on growth to create jobs but lacks holistic measures to solve the problem of massive unemployment
Input troubles
A significant spike in prices of key raw materials post lockdown has thrown a curveball at the revival story of India Inc
Booster Dose
With record healthcare expenditure and allocations focussing on mitigating the impact of Covid-19, it’s a shot in the arm for the sector
Bold Privatisation Bet
In spite of criticism and Opposition jibes, the Centre commits itself to selling most PSUs; sets ambitious disinvestment target for FY22
Life Changing
I was happily married, happily employed, just plain happy. Until the accident
IN SEASON Chickpeas (GARBANZO BEANS)
Chickpeas appear in early recordings in Turkey well over 5000 years ago. India produces the most chickpeas worldwide but they are grown in more than 50 countries. An excellent source of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, B vitamins, and some minerals, they are a nutritious staple of many diets. The name chickpea comes from the Latin word cancer, referring to the plant family of legumes, Fabaceae. It is also known by its popular Spanish-derived name, the garbanzo bean. Kidney beans, black beans, lima beans, and peanuts are other familiar foods found in this legume family.
When the Signal Goes Out
Government-ordered internet shutdowns are becoming more frequent
Giving More, Taking Less
FRANCOIS BOUDERLIQUE learnt about the basic principle of Nature – to give more than you take – when he left a high-powered banking job in Paris to live and farm in Kutch, India. He realized that his understanding of eco farming was colored by his past and he needed to open his eyes to a new reality.
Moringa – Cook With Color
In India, moringa has long been used medicinally. This nutrient-dense green food, best known for its energy-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties, adds a mild spinach flavor to recipes like this delicious dip.
Wild-card playoff: Buffalo 27, Indianapolis 24
Stefon Diggs and the rest of the passing game ultimately came through in the end
CHINESE APP TIKTOK CUTS JOBS IN INDIA FOLLOWING BAN
Popular short-video Chinese app TikTok is cutting its workforce in India after hundreds of millions of its users dropped it to comply with a government ban on dozens of Chinese apps amid a military stand off between the two countries.
GAP YEAR ADVENTURES in the Age of CV19
Welcome to 2021, where it seems that masks are no longer just for Halloween. Few would dispute that 2020 was a year of major ups and downs. And, for many, the conditions sparked the question, “What am I doing with my life?”
Region To Region
Region To Region
YOGA & PEACE
DEEPAK CHOPRA speaks with DAAJI about the role Yoga has to play in bringing about world peace. This is an excerpt from their conversation broadcast on International Day of Peace, September 21, 2020. That documentary is available at https://heartfulness.org/en/international-day-of-peace/.