Lubrizol opens innovation centre in India to boost R&D

Lubrizol has announced the establishment of a cutting-edge Technology and Innovation Centre in Maharashtra, India—its first such facility globally—to accelerate regional innovation and expand collaborative capabilities.

The new centre aims to drive breakthrough innovations, enhance speed to market, and serve as a regional hub for Lubrizol’s global customers. Co-locating lab facilities and housing a dedicated Customer Experience Centre, the site is designed to enable co-development with customers and partners, while leveraging automation, advanced analytics, and digital tools to accelerate solution development.

“Lubrizol has been synonymous with innovation for nearly 100 years, and this new center represents a significant commitment to our innovation locally,” said Bhavana Bindra, Lubrizol’s managing director India, Middle East and Africa. “The Technology and Innovation Centre represents a significant commitment to our journey in the region. By bringing together expertise across multiple Lubrizol businesses, this facility will be a cornerstone of collaboration, automation and technological advancement for our teams and all those we serve.”

Dr. Rahul Misra, senior director of Technology for the region, added that the centre’s location offers close proximity to stakeholders, facilitating operational efficiencies. “Through a highly collaborative working space, the centre enables strategic research and development, leveraging the best of our legacy innovation and formulation processes with future-state technology to help us take our quality innovation one step further.”

Rebecca Liebert, Lubrizol’s president and chief executive officer, added, “The Technology and Innovation Centre will serve as a model for future global centers, aligning with our strategy of establishing interconnected innovation centres worldwide. Our innovation teams in India have already enabled significant innovation in the many industries we serve, including earning the company global customer innovation awards. We expect this center to expand on those successes.”

Lubrizol’s commitment to innovation in India spans decades. From pioneering CPVC piping in the market 25 years ago, to its Bar Soap Centre of Excellence improving product sustainability, the company continues to align with local needs and regulatory trends.

The announcement follows more than USD 350 million in investments over the past 18 months, including a new manufacturing facility—set to become the company’s second largest globally—and a partnership to construct the world’s largest single-site CPVC resin plant.

Lubrizol also recently opened a Global Capability Centre in Pune and expanded production capacity in Gujarat, underlining its growing footprint in the region.