MONHEIM, Germany - Cognis has opened an affiliate in Mumbai, India. The new affiliate, Cognis India, will be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cognis Group and will operate under the name of Cognis Specialty Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. Cognis first opened a liaison office in India in February 2008 to bring the company closer to its customers in the region and gain a greater understanding of local markets. The new affiliate will continue to grow Cognis’ business in India.

 

Since it was established, the office has helped Cognis gain a greater understanding of the Indian market, as well as enabling it to anticipate developments there more quickly. It has also helped strengthen relationships with existing customers, distributors and suppliers; identified and initiated new business opportunities; and raised awareness of Cognis’ products and services in local markets. The new affiliate marks another milestone for Cognis in realizing business opportunities within the Indian market. It also reflects the success of the liaison office, as well as the significant growth achieved by Cognis in India in the last few years. In 2008, Cognis’ sales in India grew by some 30 percent.

 

Cognis India will employ technical and commercial managers to work on behalf of all three of the company’s strategic business units – Care Chemicals, Nutrition & Health, and Functional Products. To demonstrate product benefits and answer questions on application technologies onsite, Care Chemicals and Functional Products will also establish technical service facilities in India. To grow Cognis’ business in India, the company will continue to explore options for establishing local sourcing and production facilities.