At least five leading Chinese rubber equipment manufacturer, including Hehigher Rubber & Plastic Equipment Manufacturing, are looking to India for investment opportunities.
Chinese companies usually look to Vietnam for investment tie-ups due to the ease of doing business in the country, but Hehigher is eyeing India for partnerships, joint ventures and even for a processing facility.
At least four other Chinese rubber equipment manufacturers that were part of a 70-member delegation at the India Rubber Expo 2017 are looking at India.
“India is a promising market with big opportunities as automobile ownership is growing rapidly,” said Wang Shuyun, general manager, Hehigher Rubber & Plastic Equipment Manufacturing.
JieYubin, vice-director of the China National Chemical Information Centre, who led the delegation to the expo, said Chinese firms were looking at India, Thailand and Vietnam to get around their country’s shortage of natural rubber.
The companies were looking at setting up processing facilities in India, besides supplying equipment and additives, and research and development, he added. Jie said this model was recently tried out by a few Chinese companies in Vietnam.
However, Vinod T. Simon, executive director, Simmco Rubber & Plastic, who attended the expo, said there was no question of exporting rubber from India because the country was facing a deficit. He said Chinese and Indian companies could collaborate over equipment and know how.