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Sudarshan interview: “Reinforcing our presence in key regions such as Europe and the Americas”
Sudarshan has recently completed the acquisition of Heubach. Managing Director Rajesh Rathi elaborates why this strategic move marks a milestone for the company. The acquisition provides the opportunity to increase market shares in two key regions for the India-based pigment producer. Interview by Damir Gagro
The recent acquisition of Heubach strengthens your presence in Europe and the Americas. Why is this of importance?
Rajesh Rathi: The acquisition of Heubach marks a major milestone in our global growth strategy. Sudarshan’s dream of becoming a truly global player with the global asset footprint has come true. With this deal, we are significantly reinforcing our presence in key regions such as Europe and the Americas—markets that are central to our long-term ambitions. Through this move, we gain access to a broader customer base, expand our technological and product offering, and enhance our global manufacturing footprint. Crucially, this also bolsters our resilience in the face of increasing tariffs and global trade complexities.
How do you rate these two regions for your activities?
Rathi: Europe and the Americas are extremely important to us. These are mature and sophisticated markets, where customers expect regulatory compliance, high product quality, and sustainable solutions. Most of our global key accounts are located in these regions. Being closer to them, we will be able to serve them better – we innovate more, we push the boundaries and we jointly shape the industry. Furthermore, having a regional manufacturing base and local technical support allows us to avoid long international lead times. This localisation strengthens our ability to respond swiftly to market demands.
While we previously had a single-digit market share in these regions, with this acquisition, we expect to reach a substantial double-digit share in the coming years.
By establishing your second global headquarters in the Frankfurt area, Germany remains a strategic location for you. Could you please elaborate why?
Rathi: Germany lies at the heart of Europe’s chemicals sector and offers outstanding infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, and close proximity to key customers. Establishing our second global headquarters in the Frankfurt area underlines our commitment to the region and facilitates more effective oversight of our expanded European operations. Additionally, the Hoechst Industrial park in Frankfurt remains one of our core manufacturing locations for Specialty Pigments, which plays a vital role in our capability to produce complex speciality pigments for high-end applications.
What can you tell us about the capacities of the newly combined company?
Rathi: With Heubach now part of Sudarshan, we’ve significantly increased our manufacturing and R&D capabilities. The combined entity operates 19 pigment production sites and four dedicated R&D centres worldwide. This gives us one of the most comprehensive pigment portfolios in the industry, covering everything from classical organic and inorganic pigments to advanced high-performance materials. Our expanded capacities will allow us to respond more quickly to customer needs, ensure greater supply reliability, and support our ambitions for future growth—especially in coatings and other performance-driven sectors.
What are the current challenges and opportunities in the market you?
Rathi: Given the current dynamic and uncertainties in the global market, the biggest challenge is to ensure reliability in the value chain – reliability in terms of supply and quality. Growing regulatory complexity, rising expectations for sustainability, and volatility in raw material availability and cost have to be managed. Also, tariffs and protectionist policies in some markets add another layer of complexity. These factors make it all the more important to have a geographically diversified and agile manufacturing base and supply chain– which we now have. That said, there are also significant opportunities resulting out of our technical competency and our ability to co-create and work closely with our customers. This includes both technical advancements and sustainable solutions.
