Shivtek’s edge lies in Indian manufacturing at global scale
Shivtek Spechemi Industries Ltd, a leading name in India’s speciality chemicals landscape, has been steadily transforming the industry since its inception in 1987. The company, which began with a modest capacity of 400 MTPA, has now scaled up to an impressive1,50,000 MTPA, backed by strong R&D, precision manufacturing, and global logistics capabilities. With three strategically located, eco-conscious production plants in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat, and exports spanning over 75 countries, Shivtek has established itself as a trusted solutions provider across diverse sectors including textiles, polymers, and petrochemicals. As the textile industry faces increasing demand for high-performance, sustainable inputs, Fibre2Fashion spoke with Managing Director Dr. Amitt Nenwani to understand how the company is leveraging green chemistry, regulatory readiness, and process innovation to support the future of textile manufacturing.
What are the major challenges textile manufacturers face today when it comes to sourcing high-performance yet eco-friendly chemical inputs?
The biggest challenge is finding eco-aligned additives that do not compromise on throughput, colourfastness, or fabric handle. Additives that work in the lab often fail in real-scale production. Our aim is to offer high-performance green specialty additives that are built for the real-world—cost-effective, consistent, and production-ready.
How is the shift towards sustainable and circular fashion influencing the demand for new-age textile additives globally?
Today, chemical suppliers are pushed to deliver smarter, safe, and more circular inputs. The demand is no longer just about performance, it is about lifecycle impact, post-use recyclability, and process simplicity. Shivtek is developing green specialty additives with these shifts in mind, ensuring our solutions support both today’s processing needs and tomorrow’s sustainability goals.
With increasing pressure for sustainability in textiles, how is Shivtek aligning its chemical solutions with eco-friendly and green manufacturing practices?
We are actively building our next phase of growth around green specialty additives focusing on reducing process waste, enabling cleaner formulations, and integrating environmentally responsible raw materials. Our upcoming plants, including our caustic soda unit and speciality chlorinated product facilities are designed with ZLD principles, energy-efficient layouts, and sustainable process planning at the core.
How do you see green specialty additives shaping the future of textile dyeing and finishing, especially in terms of environmental impact and industry adoption?
Green specialty additives are set to define the next generation of textile processing by reducing toxicity, water usage, and overall chemical footprint. At Shivtek, we are developing low-residue, energy-efficient solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing machinery—ensuring manufacturers do not face expensive process overhauls. These additives also support circular material recovery and safer production environments. As part of our core textile and artificial leather strategy, we are committed to building green chemistry solutions that advance both industrial performance and environmental responsibility.
With regulatory frameworks shaping the global textile supply chain, how is Shivtek ensuring its specialty additive offerings are aligned with responsible practices?
Shivtek is carefully designing every new formulation and facility with compliance-readiness and environmental responsibility. Our green specialty additives are being built on principles of low toxicity, complete biodegradability, process compatibility, and minimised effluent load, which help manufacturers meet evolving global expectations without waiting for last-minute reformulations.
With evolving global regulations, how is the textile industry adapting its chemical usage and supply chains to stay compliant?
Manufacturers are demanding more than just MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), they want transparent sourcing, formulation traceability, and supply partners who understand global benchmarks. At Shivtek, we are committed to supplying consistent, traceable speciality additives with robust quality control, helping our customers adapt without disruption.
How does Shivtek’s specialty additive portfolio differentiate itself from global competitors, especially in meeting India’s unique textile manufacturing needs?
Shivtek’s edge lies in Indian manufacturing at global scale. Our speciality additives are designed to work in local water conditions, high-throughput machines, and with materials widely used in India—like cotton-polyester blends and synthetic coatings. We are not just selling speciality additives, we are developing a support ecosystem around process compatibility, logistics, and responsiveness.
Which of Shivtek’s specialty additives are currently most in demand by the textile industry, and what key challenges do they address in textile processing?
Our core products such as chlorinated paraffin, speciality plasticisers, speciality additives and specialty solvents are already used in coated textile, interlining, and synthetic leather applications. These additives help overcome issues like surface cracking, poor flexibility, and thermal degradation in textile-adjacent processes. We are seeing growing interest from textile processors who want consistent, industrial-grade speciality additives for finishing, lamination, and performance coatings.
Can you elaborate on how your specialty chlorinated products support textile applications such as coatings or synthetic leather alternatives?
Our specialty chlorinated products include speciality additives that work as a flame retardant and secondary plasticiser, commonly used in PVC-coated fabrics, synthetic leathers, and flexible laminates. A few of our chlorinated products are popular for their impact resistance, UV stability, and elongation, making it ideal for coated textiles, tarpaulins, footwear uppers, and technical outdoor materials. These products are especially relevant where textile meets function and durability.
As textile manufacturers seek performance enhancement, are you developing any specialty additives tailored for improving fabric durability, colourfastness, or anti-odour properties?
We are in the process of expanding our specialty additive capabilities for textiles, with a focus on durability, weather ability, and finish enhancement, especially in industrial-grade fabrics and coatings. While our core does not yet include anti-odour or colour-performance agents, we are engaging with customers who are looking for rugged, process-stable speciality green additives that enhance final product value.
Are you collaborating directly with textile mills or fashion brands to co-develop customised chemical formulations?
We are in conversation with mills and processors who want to upgrade their formulations for better performance and sustainability. Our collaborations focus on adapting existing speciality additives—such as those used in plastics and leather—for fabric lamination, coating, or processing enhancement. These partnerships are helping us shape practical, result-oriented solutions that serve textile and technical industries.
What role will your upcoming production expansions in Gujarat and Rajasthan play in strengthening the textile industry’s access to high-performance specialty additives domestically?
The new facilities will allow us to scale domestic production of core additives—like caustic soda, CPE, chlorinated paraffin, and speciality plasticisers, all of which are essential to textile and leather industries. With our network expanding near key hubs like Surat, Bhilwara, and Ahmedabad, we will be positioned to serve manufacturers quickly, with stable supply and lower logistical costs.
How are advancements in specialty additives enabling functional textiles—such as water-repellent, antimicrobial, or UV-resistant fabrics?
Through formulation science, additives can now deliver multiple functions in a single treatment step. While we do not yet offer antimicrobial systems, our existing speciality additives are already used in applications requiring UV stability, flame resistance, and outdoor durability. We are expanding this into textiles that need to perform in industrial, automotive, and environmental exposure conditions.
Looking ahead, what innovations in textile additives—be it functional finishes, circular materials, or energy-saving processes—do you see Shivtek exploring in the next 3–5 years?
We are focusing on energy-efficient speciality additives, recyclable coating aids, and green process enhancers, especially for use in textiles that combine synthetic fibres with surface treatment layers. Whether it is low-curing coatings or water-resistant yet eco-compatible speciality additives, we are building a portfolio that answers to both functional performance and environmental relevance.
