India remains a significant driver for the refractories industry which increasingly attracts the attention of foreign investors. Among them, Imerys SA is the latest one to announce refractories developments in the buoyant region, following the news from Japan’s Krosaki Harima Corp. (KHC) it would build a 200m. rupees ($4.3m.) plant in India to produce refractory taphole clay - a refractory material used to fill blast furnace tapholes (IM October 2011: Krosaki to build refractory clay plant in India).
The French industrial minerals group confirmed to IM that Imerys is planning to build a new plant to produce monolithic refractories in India.
A spokeswoman from the company said it was “too early to talk about a location and consequently about a precise financial investment”.
However, in an article quoting Imerys India chairman, Umesh Deveshwar, the Hindu Business Line reported Imerys had earmarked an investment of 250m. rupees...