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Godrej Industries Group’s National Chemistry Day summit drives momentum for sustainability & innovation
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
August 08 , 2025
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Godrej Industries Group hosted the second edition of the ‘National Chemistry Day’ summit. Building on the success and momentum of the inaugural edition, this joint initiative by GIG companies – Godrej Industries (Chemicals) and Astec LifeSciences, brings together industry, academia and research to deep dive into innovative trends and technology that are redefining the landscape of modern chemistry and explore how the Indian chemical industry can leverage them.
India’s chemical sector is on a strong growth trajectory, underscoring its rising strategic importance and the country’s emergence as a trusted global hub for chemical manufacturing. As one of the few sectors where India has the potential to become a global leader, it is projected to capture 10–12% of the global market share by 2040—provided innovation, R&D, and policy support continue to align effectively. It is against this backdrop that the theme for this year’s summit, “Driving Innovation and Growth in India’s Chemical Industry,” was conceptualised, serving as a timely platform to reflect on the sector’s momentum and catalyse conversations around advancing India’s innovation ecosystem, R&D capabilities, and global competitiveness through purposeful collaboration.
Nadir Godrej, chairperson, Godrej Industries Group, said, “Chemistry has always played a foundational role in shaping society. As we convene the second edition of National Chemistry Day, it is clear that meaningful, future-facing conversations are vital for unlocking India’s full potential in this space. This summit is our attempt to enable that - to spark dialogue, share ideas, and collaboratively explore how we can not only participate in the global chemical economy, but lead it responsibly and sustainably.”
Featuring two panel discussions; one with Vishal Sharma, executive director and CEO of Godrej Industries Limited (Chemicals), moderating a dialogue on building competitiveness in India’s chemical industry, and another with Burjis Godrej, executive director, Godrej Agrovet Ltd., and MD, Astec LifeSciences Ltd., moderating a conversation on the role of R&D in driving industry growth, the panellists underscored the importance of accelerating innovation, enhancing value-added manufacturing, and fostering deeper academia-industry collaboration.
Sharma said, “The exchange of ideas at this year’s summit revolved around a shared imperative — for India’s chemical industry to build resilience not just through cost competitiveness, but by fostering knowledge, collaboration, and innovation. What resonated most across the discussions was the clear consensus that India must move beyond being seen as a backend producer and step up to lead from the front. Whether it’s strengthening in-house R&D, embracing green chemistry, or nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers, the conversations reflected a collective ambition to position India as a global hub for sustainable chemical manufacturing. It is this spirit of openness and shared purpose that will propel the sector forward.”
Godrej said, “Innovation in the chemical industry can no longer remain siloed within labs or R&D departments—it must become a mindset that runs across the entire value chain. What emerged clearly in the discussions was a shared understanding that we must move beyond incremental gains towards transformative shifts. Strengthening industry-academia linkages, accelerating digital adoption, and building diverse, cross-functional R&D teams are no longer optional—they are vital for sustained global competitiveness. Forums like this are crucial in aligning perspectives, surfacing bold ideas, and reinforcing the urgency for collective action. If India is to lead on the global stage, we must evolve from being efficient executors to becoming originators of sustainable, scalable chemical innovations.”
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