Interview with Sudhir Shenoy

Textiles is one of the key segments for specialty chemicals in India. Another area of focus where we have global expertise and competitiveness is microbial control - the solutions in this area also apply to the textiles sector. One of the key products in this portfolio is Silvadur Antimicrobial technology for apparel. Our focus is on developing advanced forms of Silvadur for specialty applications that would give us an opportunity in this diversified market segments. This application development is taking place at one of our labs in Kalwa, Mumbai, which is well equipped to collaborate with customers not only in India, but across the world.

It's a great feeling to lead the company I have been a part of for 17 years. I think we are in a fantastic place - both in our growth journey and in our market positioning; and I hope in the next two years, we are able to take it several notches up. Dow India has achieved double digit growth over the last few years. Our focus on 'customer connect and local innovation' has helped us cross the significant milestone of US$ 1 billion in 2014. We are looking to double this figure by 2020. The key growth drivers for us in India have been packaging, polyurethanes, water solutions and personal care, pharma and biocides; and I am happy to see that we are also showing a promising growth in sectors such as agrochemicals, coating solutions and more. As you may have observed in the recent past, Dow's transformation from a commodity to a specialty chemicals company is being fuelled by scientific innovation, preferential investment in higher performing businesses, understanding and meeting the needs of customers, and a continued focus on financial discipline. In the next two years, Dow India will benefit from the product outflow of its two joint ventures - the Dow-Saudi Aramco joint venture in the Middle East (The Sadara Chemical Company), and the Dow-SCG joint venture for polyols production in Map Ta Phut, Thailand.We measure our success in terms of the relationships we foster with our customers, and the quality application development and innovation we bring in creating valued products. We have made significant progress in this direction. Dow India has a portfolio of 3000+ solutions that address the current needs of consumers. Our 2000+ customers leverage Dow solutions effectively to satisfy the future needs of the market. Our focus will always remain on understanding the market thoroughly and staying ahead on the innovation curve.

Today, Silvadur Antimicrobial is one of the highest performing and most sustainable antimicrobial products in the market. Silvadur has an edge compared to all other products in India, because of its innovative composition, functionality and cost effectiveness. It's designed with an intelligent, silver-ion-based control mechanism that delivers its properties with no free silver. This is much different from typical silver particle systems, where a lot of uncontrolled silver is wasted during the application process and also released into the environment. This is also a significant competitive advantage. In addition, the polymeric nature of Silvadur gives it long-term durability and the ability to withstand wear and tear and abrasion during the normal lifecycle of many textile products. Silvadur Antimicrobial's advanced mode of action is both chemical and biological. It's fully compatible with moisture management systems and chemicals and dyeing agents. Another important distinction is that it can be collected, reused, and recycled. As we look at its performance profile, we're confident Silvadur Antimicrobial can deliver reliable, long-term performance to fibre producers, apparel and textile manufacturers, and brand owners.

The needs of the textile industry span across multiple categories in upstream and downstream deliveries. Dow India is a significant enabler in the textile value chain. Our agriculture portfolio can enhance productivity of cotton yields. Our processing and dyeing chemical solutions are an accumulation of best practices from all over the world, and can augment quality and productivity of mill owners. Our packaging solutions ensure optimum mill-to-mall efficiencies, and our effluent treatment solutions pave the way for sustainable manufacturing practices. Further, Dow's microbial control solutions provide functional benefits as per consumer demand to retailers with minimal loss during storage and transportation. In this manner, different businesses within Dow India cater to the needs of the textiles industry, and together, we provide a holistic portfolio to the industry.

At Dow, our focus is on innovating in India, for India, and reaching the masses in a significant way. One of the key strategies for us has been customising existing solutions for the Indian market. We have three application centres that solely focus on India-specific customised solutions, which target not only high-end products up in the value chain, but also simple mass-scale products such as bar soaps, where we have brought immense innovation and value.