DSM will focus on the supply of innovative specialized composite resin solutions to the fast growing Indian market while Kemrock will concentrate on the production of high end composite parts.

The joint venture company will be known as DSM Kemrock India. In the first phase, the new plant will have a capacity of 25,000 tonnes (conservative estimate) of composite materials per annum.

DSM Kemrock India expects revenues of nearly $50-million from the Indian market by 2015.

"This joint venture fits with all four growth drivers of our strategy DSM in motion: driving focused growth and provides an excellent opportunity to further grow our composite resins business in India. In addition, this joint venture re-confirms our longstanding commitment to India, a country that has become an important market for DSM," said Nico Gerardu, Member of the DSM Managing Board and responsible for the Performance Materials cluster.

"We are excited to start working with Kemrock Industries, a well-known and highly respected partner and market leader in India in composite parts. We are convinced that our joint venture will play an important role in the fast growing market for composites in India, as the number of applications and markets continues to grow. Our composite resins for instance do not only increase the yield of wind turbines, they can also replace metal in automotive applications," said Michael Effing, President DSM Composite Resins.

Netherlands-based DSM Composite Resins started its operations in India in 2001. The company, currently earning revenues totalling $250 million from the Indian market, is targeting 2-3 times growth over the next five years.

According to Kalpesh Patel, Chairman and Managing Director of Kemrock, the joint venture will help strengthen the company's expertise in composite manufacturing.

Composite resins (unsaturated polyester resins, including vinyl esters and additives) are used in the production of fiber reinforced plastics or non- reinforced filled products. Due to the ease and freedom of processing, unsaturated polyester resins can be applied in the manufacturing of small and very large structures. Composite resins are well known in applications in marine and automotive, but also in for example wind turbine blades.