Godrej Industries Group (GIG) hosted the first edition of its ‘National Chemistry Day’ Summit. Bringing together academia and industry leaders, this joint initiative by Godrej Chemicals and Astec LifeSciences, aims to create a platform to deep dive into innovative trends and technologies redefining the landscape of modern chemistry and how Indian Chemical Industry can leverage the same.

India’s chemical industry contributes 7% to the country’s GDP and ranks sixth in the world. An integral element to almost every sector, the chemical industry continues to reinvent itself in addition to advancing sustainable and eco-friendly solutions through the application of cutting-edge science and technology. The summit tried addressing this through thought-provoking discussions.

Commenting on the initiative, Nadir Godrej, CMD, Godrej Industries Limited said,” Globally touching lives of people every day in different ways, the chemical industry is a critical pillar of the economy. Helping meet the needs of society, a collaborative approach will ensure progress across industries, thereby driving circularity and reducing emissions. Through this summit, we intend to create a platform which can aid cross pollination of ideas amongst the constituents of the chemical industry and celebrate chemistry.”

Featuring two panel discussions; one with Anurag Roy, CEO, Astec LifeSciences Limited, leading a dialogue on India’s potential to become a CDMO hub and another with Vishal Sharma, Executive Director and CEO of Godrej Industries Limited (Chemicals), steering a conversation on Green Chemistry trends and sustainability, the panelists emphasised the need for continuous investment in Research & Development and strengthening of supply chain without compromising on environmental and sustainability aspects as an imperative to elevate India’s position on the global innovation and chemistry map.

Commenting on India being an optimal destination for the global CDMO industry, Anurag Roy, CEO, Astec LifeSciences Limited, said, “India’s strong process engineering capabilities, availability of specialised and abundant manpower, coupled with its manufacturing capabilities, provides immense potential to become a preferred destination for CDMOs. The discussions today reiterated that, with strategic investments in R&D, quality control, and sustainable practices, India can, not only meet, but exceed global standards in chemical manufacturing. With this having a direct bearing on the country’s economy, it is now the time to catalyse partnerships and initiatives that can transform our industry.”

The green wave is gaining traction in the Indian Chemical industry with companies implementing closed-loop systems to minimise waste generation and maximise recycling and reuse of materials. Emphasising on the same, Vishal Sharma, Executive Director and CEO, Godrej Industries Chemicals, said, “The dialogue on green chemistry at today’s event was both inspiring and pragmatic. We are at a critical juncture where sustainability is no longer optional but a fundamental aspect of chemical innovation. The groundbreaking approach to reducing environmental impact without compromising on performance or economic viability, shared by the panelists, has certainly given a new direction and provided a fresh impetus to the growth of the sector. This cross-pollination of ideas is exactly what our sector needs to drive innovation and sustainable growth. I‘m particularly excited to see the positive impact of this event on the industry.”

The summit witnessed participation from leading industry stakeholders and experts like Nadir Godrej, Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej Industries Limited and Chairman of GAVL and Astec LifeSciences Limited; Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Limited; Burjis Godrej, Executive Director & COO – Crop Protection Business, GAVL; Dr Ashish Lele, Director of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory; Avinash Goyal, Senior Partner, McKinsey, Jayen Shah, CEO, Fine Organics; Dr. Pranab Patra, Head of R&D, Adama; Dr Ravi Annavarapu, President, FMC Corporation India; Dr Amit Pratap, Professor and Head at Institute of Chemical Technology; Virendra R Tripathi, Head R&D, Wipro; and Viswanathan Rajendran, Senior Partner, Kearney.

Through the conclave, Godrej Industries Group not only demonstrated their industry expertise but also reinforced their dedication to driving sustainable innovation in India’s growing chemical sector, highlighting the country’s calibre to lead in global chemical manufacturing and eco-friendly practices.