"DuPont Knowledge Center” in Hyderabad to fuel company growth in the region

The foundation stone of the new DuPont R&D center – the DuPont Knowledge Center – in India is to be laid today by the Honorable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y S R Reddy and DuPont Chief Operating Officer Mr. Richard Goodmanson in Hyderabad.

The DuPont Knowledge Center will be set up on 15 acres of land in the ICICI Knowledge Park in Hyderabad, and is expected to accommodate more than 300 scientists and other employees. The Center is expected to be built and operational in less than 15 months.

“The DuPont Knowledge Center in India is very important to the growth of DuPont globally. Our research center reinforces the importance of India, and the city of Hyderabad, as the emerging center of knowledge excellence, particularly in the new disciplines of biotechnology, information technology and other emerging sciences”, said Richard Goodmanson, DuPont Chief Operating Officer at a media briefing today. “The DuPont Knowledge Center will allow our company to do more research, taking into account the time difference between India and US.”

“The establishment of the DuPont Knowledge Center in India is consistent with our company strategy of going where the growth is,” said Balvinder Singh Kalsi, president, DuPont India. “This location will allow us to engage some of the world’s top scientific talent in bringing better innovation to both global and local DuPont customers, faster.”

DuPont has announced that it will invest over Rs 100 crores to construct its first research and development center in India with focus on basic research, product application development across all five of its business growth platforms, and other knowledge services for global and local markets. This will also house the company’s first Plant Biotech Research Center outside the USA. DuPont will make the Center a state-of-the-art international facility, using several of DuPont own material innovations and solutions.

The DuPont Knowledge Center at Hyderabad will provide the needed research and development capabilities for DuPont to assist in business growth in India and other surrounding countries. It will be the sixth major DuPont R&D facility outside the United States. Research at the site will focus on “integrated science” – the addition of biology to traditional strengths in chemistry and materials science - to develop the company’s application pipeline in India and other emerging markets.

Globally, DuPont has more than 75 R&D facilities with over 40 in the United States and more than 35 in 11 other nations. Other major DuPont R&D facilities are located in Shanghai, China; Utsunomiya, Japan; Hsinchu, Taiwan; Wuppertal, Germany and Meyrin, Switzerland. DuPont invests an average of $1.3 billion annually on global research and development in a diverse range of technologies for many markets including agriculture, automotive, construction, electronics, chemicals and industrial materials. Today, DuPont has more than 4,400 scientists and engineers around the world.

About DuPont
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

About DuPont India
DuPont India is a subsidiary of the American parent. DuPont relationship with India began more than 200 years ago when it received its first shipment of raw materials from India to produce black powder for explosives in 1802. Today, DuPont India markets a wide range of products in varied market segments. With close to 700 employees, DuPont India is growing at a rate of more than 25% annually. DuPont India has seven production facilities in three locations representing DuPont Crop Protection, DuPont Engineering Polymers, DuPont Liquid Packaging Systems, DuPont Refinish automotive paints and Pioneer.

Contact
Krishnakoli Dutta
(DuPont Public Affairs, India)
Tel: +91-124-4095004
Mob: +91-9810502191
Email: krishnakoli.dutta@ind.dupont.com