Haldia Petrochemicals is set to receive an additional investment of ₹6,000 crore from Adparma, with a new facility and expanded phenol and acetone production planned at the West Bengal industrial complex. The project is scheduled to be inaugurated on 14 October by Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin.
The investment comes as the report links the project to continuing disruption in global oil supplies following the Iran war and a prolonged blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. It describes the resulting supply pressure as a backdrop to India’s efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports.
The expansion will focus mainly on acetone production, while the existing phenol and acetone facilities will also be expanded. Haldia Petrochemicals has set production targets of 345 KTPA, or kilotonnes per annum, for phenol and 215 KTPA for acetone under the new project, the report said.
Phenol and acetone are used as chemical inputs across several industries. According to the report, the planned output is intended to serve pharmaceutical, automobile, electronics and paint manufacturers. It is also expected to improve supplies within West Bengal and strengthen the availability of domestically produced, higher-quality chemicals.
The project is significant not only because of the production volumes but also because of Haldia Petrochemicals’ integrated manufacturing platform. The facility brings production, packaging and distribution together at one location, which the report identifies as a major operational advantage. Its supply role extends beyond West Bengal to industrial areas across the country.
Sangbad Pratidin also described the complex as the largest factory in northeastern India, while reporting that the expansion is expected to widen eastern India’s chemical manufacturing base. The stated objective is to reduce India’s dependence on other countries for chemical supplies and create conditions for more downstream industries around Haldia Petrochemicals.
The proposed investment could therefore affect more than the main plant. The report said the expansion may support the emergence of ancillary industries around the facility, although it did not provide an estimate of new employment, the project completion schedule, financing structure or the number of downstream units expected to be established.
The next formal milestone is the planned inauguration on 14 October. Further details on the new plant, its commissioning timeline and the implementation of the production targets are expected to emerge at that event.
