The Toyo Ink Group continues to expand its manufacturing foothold in India, one of the fastest growing economies in the region. Last month, the company inaugurated its second production site in the country, in Dahej, Gujarat state, along the eastern coast. The new $17-million (1.7 billion yen) facility has commenced production of offset inks to satisfy demand in the rapidly growing printing market in India. With a production capacity of 10,000 m. tons—nearly three times that of the company’s first manufacturing facility in Delhi—the Gujarat plant strengthens the Toyo Ink Group’s ability to meet local demand while ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality products on a global level, particularly to neighboring markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“Growing demand has pushed production at our Delhi plant to capacity,” says Shingo Nishikaze, chairman of Toyo Ink India Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Toyo Ink Group. “With the establishment of a second inks plant, we are well-positioned now and in the future to support our customers’ growth in India and its neighboring regions. This is an important step in implementing our SCC-III mid-term growth strategy. Toyo Ink is working to expand our worldwide operations while enhancing our global supply capabilities to respond quickly and effectively to our customers’ evolving needs.”

Since the establishment of Toyo Ink India in 2007, the Toyo Ink Group has steadily created an infrastructure on which it has built a broad production, sales and logistics network. Toyo Ink India first began manufacturing offset inks at its Delhi plant in 2008. To meet growing local demand, it expanded production to include inkjet inks in 2011 and gravure inks for the food packaging sector in 2012. Its three branch offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai are strategically located to support sales and distribution activities as well as serve customers throughout the country with technical support such as color matching and blending services.

In 2013, the Toyo Ink Group established a manufacturing joint venture for azo pigments with Heubach Colour Pvt. Ltd., a leading producer of organic pigments. Located in Ankleshwar, also in the Gujarat state, the production site for the new alliance Heubach Toyo Colour Pvt. Ltd. is expected to come onstream soon with an annual capacity of 2,000 m. tons. Heubach Toyo Colour will supply the Toyo Ink Group to meet its internal consumption requirements for high-quality and cost-competitive materials as well as offer pigment products to its global customers.

With its proximity to emerging markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India is ideally positioned as a strategic hub for the Group’s manufacturing and global supply chain needs. Going forward, the Toyo Ink Group plans to strengthen its local presence and diversify its business in the country.

“India is a market that holds immense potential for the future for us,” said Bodi S. Kampani, CEO and managing director of Toyo Ink India. “In the current fiscal year, Toyo Ink India intends to boost our gravure inks production capacity and scale up our inkjet inks operations with further enhancements to the Delhi plant. In addition, in Gujarat, we plan to install new equipment for the manufacturing of resins and adhesives and expand production of plastic colorants, with the aim of later creating a production base for compounds developed in conjunction with Group products. The Toyo Ink Group is working to develop a multi-faceted operation to help meet burgeoning demand and contribute to the enrichment of life and culture of the people in India and surrounding areas.”