Exports & Growth: Why Saint-Gobain is Investing in India

Saint-Gobain says it plans to grow its capital expenditure and acquisitions in India, positioning the country as a manufacturing and export hub for its global operations.

CEO Benoît Bazin told CNBC: “When we buy a piece of land in India, we think about all the capex we can deploy over the next 10 years.

“We are building capabilities to export to Southeast Asia and to Australia.

“It’s not only production for the domestic market anymore.”

The benefits of manufacturing in India

Benoît told CNBC that Saint-Gobain has seen its India business double every five years.

He says that he expects this growth to accelerate further. 

Alongside domestic demand, India could also be a regional export base for Southeast Asia and Australia. 

Exports account for around 5% of Saint-Gobain India’s output, but Benoit told CNBC this could rise to 15% over the next five years.

Saint-Gobain’s history in India

The French company began its time in India in 1996 by acquiring a majority stake of Grindwell Norton. 

In 2000, Saint-Gobain commissioned its first Float Glass plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

With the acquisition of British Plaster Board in 2005, the Gyproc brand was integrated into its Indian operations, leading the market in gypsum plasterboards. 

Saint-Gobain Research India was established in Chennai in 2012 to develop solutions specifically for hot and humid climates. 

The Chennai Research Center was inaugurated in 2016.

In 2026, Saint-Gobain India has more than 20 manufacturing sites across the country serving both the domestic market and exports and nearly 10,000 employees. 

This includes 82 manufacturing lines.

Inside the World Glass Complex

Saint-Gobain’s World Glass Complex is a 70 hectare industrial site in Rajasthan.

The company invested more than US$185m to build the facility with a capacity to manufacture close to 1,000 tonnes of glass per day. 

The Complex is automated with robotics and strategically located on the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor to serve the North India market. 

A float launched in 2019 in the facility is equipped with a high-tech furnace to reduce energy consumption alongside solar photovoltaic panels on the roof. 

This facility also manufactures India’s first low-carbon glass, ORAÉ, using recycled content and renewable energy. 

Saint-Gobain’s Indian acquisitions

Alongside investments, Saint-Gobain has been acquiring businesses in India since it entered the region. 

Its 1996 acquisition of Grindwell Norton was its first entry in the market, which was followed by the acquisition of a majority equity stake in what is now Saint-Gobain Sekurit.

Winter Misra Diamond Tools and the Fused Refractories business of Carborundum Universal were acquired in 1998 and 2002 respectively. 

British Plaster Board was next in 2005, before the Bonded Abrasives business of Orient Abrasives in 2006. 

A float plant near Bharuch, Gujarat was acquired from Sezal Architecture Glass in 2011 and a variety of new plants were commissioned in 2012. 

The year 2021 brought two more acquisitions, Chryso and Rockwool India. 

UP Twiga was acquired in 2021 before purchasing FOSROC in 2024.

The Central Vista Project in New Delhi

The ongoing redevelopment of the Central Vista, India’s central administrative area, aims to modernise and enhance the city’s infrastructure for public use. 

This project began in 2019 and is scheduled to be fully completed between 2026 and 2027 at a cost of US$1.9bn.

Across the redevelopment, 11 different Saint-Gobain solutions are in use. 

These include high-performance glass, plaster and plasterboard, construction chemicals and insulation.