Technical Center India, Visit with Prince Philip and Princess Mathilde

Late March, Bekaert celebrated the opening of its new technical center, located in Ranjangaon, near Pune.  The Bekaert India Technical Center will support Bekaert’s customers in India with enhanced technical services in the form of product quality testing, technical assessments and related dedicated assistance.

The official inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of HRH Prince Philippe of Belgium, His Excellency Steven Vanackere, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform, and Baron Paul Buysse, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bekaert. The delegation is visiting the plant in the framework of the Belgian Economic Mission to India.
Baron Paul Buysse, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bekaert, stated: “The progressive growth of our activities in India is a good illustration of the potential the country has to offer. With the creation of the technical center and the planned expansions of our current capacity, our Indian operations will play an increasingly important role within the global manufacturing platform of Bekaert.”
Bekaert (www.bekaert.com) is a global technological leader in its two core competences: advanced metal transformation and advanced materials and coatings, and a market leader in drawn wire products and applications. Bekaert (Euronext Brussels: BEKB) is a global company with headquarters in Belgium, employing 23 000 people worldwide. Serving customers in 120 countries, Bekaert pursues sustainable profitable growth in all its activities and generates annual combined sales of € 3.3 billion.

Bekaert in India
As from 1998 Bekaert is active in India, where it today operates regional headquarters and three manufacturing plants, located in Pune, Ranjangaon and Lonand, with a workforce of over 500 people. Bekaert produces a wide variety of steel cord and steel wire products in India, focused on the growing local needs of the automotive and construction markets as well as the textile and polymer industries. In partnership with Mukand, Bekaert produces stainless steel wire specialties.

Geert Roelens, Bekaert Group Executive Vice President Steelcord, commented: “Bekaert is responding to an increased demand for steel cord reinforcement solutions in India as tire manufacturing companies want to capitalize on the move towards radial tires. By providing technological support and a state-of-the-art testing facility tailored to local needs, we are ideally positioned to set up joint development programs with our customers.”