Fuchs expands Indian operations


Fuchs Lubricants India is set to expand its presence in the country with the launch of its R&D centre in Mumbai.

The R40 crore ($8.9m) plant, in Mumbai suburb Ambernath, is set to go live as the company, a subsidiary of Germany's Fuchs Petrolub AG, aimst at dramatically expanding its lubes range into specialised areas including cement, energy and mining.

The R&D facility is only the start of the project, which will start by adapting lubes for sub-tropical conditions.  Further construction, costing R10 crore ($2.2m is planned to start in 2011 to make the centre an R&D hub for the region.  Fuchs aims to triple its sales in India to R2bn ($44m) by 2013 aiming at both the niche and general lubes markets.