Bharuch: Leading manufacturer and supplier of lead-acid battery separators for automotive, industrial and specialty applications ,Daramic, a company of Japan based Asahi Kasei group today said that it has doubled the production capacity of its Indian manufacturing plant at Dahej in Gujarat.

The plant has expanded from two to four production lines in four short years due to the growing demand from India and neighboring markets. The expansion to four production lines will significantly increase output, enabling the company to meet the full demand of Indian customers locally, while helping customers smooth out global supply chain challenges that they are currently facing. The capacity expansion will also open export possibilities to adjacent geographies. In India, Daramic has been the primary component manufacturer for major Indian brands, retaining a leading market share in the country, a press release of the company said today.

The manufacturing plant at Dahej was established in 2017. The facility has generated double digit growth over the past four years. The plant is utilized for manufacturing and finishing of PE (Polyethylene) separators. Additionally, the facility has the capability to produce development products that are not commercially available to customers yet. Hundreds of jobs have been created at the Dahej plant in the past four years, and over 80% of employees in the plant are local workers, it further said.

President, Daramic, Mr. Chad Schuchmann said, “The new production lines in Dahej enable us to keep pace with anticipated market demand, and support the growth of the lead-acid battery industry that is set to grow substantially in the coming years. With the current tightening of the global supply chain, Daramic is positioned to meet demand of all major customers in India, with the ability to export to adjoining geographies if needed. With innovation at its core, Daramic’s Dahej plant is equipped to develop separators। for batteries that meet modern requirements and create separator solutions that drive innovative market opportunities.”

Managing Director, Daramic, Ms. Ahila Krishnamoorthy, said, “India continues to be a very exciting market for us as we have witnessed significant growth in the country. Today, we see a very strong future for lead-acid batteries in India, largely for innovative automotive solutions, industrial applications, and a growing demand for enhanced energy solutions from smaller cities. These factors are expected to drive the lead-acid battery market at a rapid pace in the coming decade.”

Notably, Daramic is not only the world’s largest manufacturer of Polyethylene (PE) separators but also the only manufacturer of phenolic resin-based separators for automotive, industrial and specialty applications in the lead-acid battery industry. It paved the way for automation in the lead-acid battery industry by inventing polyethylene separators in 1969, supplying to all major lead-acid battery manufacturers. The company has eight strategically located manufacturing facilities in the United States, France, Germany, India, China and Thailand. It began its India operations in Bangalore in 2008. Since then, it has grown to become the largest separator supplier in India. To meet the growing demand of the Indian market, the company set up a manufacturing plant। at Dahej, Gujarat in 2017. In addition to the manufacturing and finishing facility, Daramic has an R&D center in Dahej। and a finishing plant in Himachal Pradesh. DeshGujarat