Milliken Expands in India for PU Growth

US-based Milliken Chemical is strengthening its operations in India to keep pace with the country’s expanding polyurethane (PU) industry. With offices in Mumbai and Delhi and an R&D and technical service lab in Pune, the company is leveraging its local presence to support customer needs more closely.

“We believe being close to our customers and understanding their challenges allows us to deliver colour and additive solutions that help the industry thrive,” said Daan Vanwynsberghe, global business unit director for polyurethane, during the PU Tech show.

Enhanced capabilities at the Pune lab are now supporting high-performance coating technologies. Vanwynsberghe added, “As the market in India evolves, we will continue to adapt as necessary to serve our customers.” Commenting on local market dynamics, he said, “The Indian PU market is fast growing and highly competitive,” noting that global best practices, such as the CertiPur certification scheme through Europur and IPUA, are being adopted. He also pointed to increasing interest in chemical recycling in India, following trends from Europe.

Milliken is active in India’s flexible foam segment, working with key players like Sheela Foam, Prime, and Shree Malani across comfort, technical, and automotive applications.

At PU Tech, the company showcased its Reactint colour technology for PU foams and presented a broad range of vibrant shades aimed at improving production efficiency and flexibility. It also introduced new efforts in polyol stabilisation and thermal management for flexible foam.

“We specifically showcased our colour trends for 2025 at the show,” Vanwynsberghe said. “Besides colorants, we focus on additives for current challenges and upcoming trends in the PU landscape.” Milliken also promoted its Milliguard AOX polymeric antioxidant for enhanced polyol stability and reduced yellowing. “It is amine-free, helping companies meet air quality targets by reducing VOCs,” he added.

In addition, EnFinit phase change materials designed to regulate temperature in PU foams were presented. These materials aim to improve comfort in mattresses and are free from formaldehyde, with some variants meeting USDA BioPreferred standards.