Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel launched the 14th edition of India Chem 2026, the biennial flagship event of the chemicals and petrochemicals industry. The event will be held in Mumbai from October 22 to 24, 2026, and is being hosted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals in partnership with FICCI.
The Minister emphasized that the chemicals and petrochemicals sector has the potential to become a key growth engine of the Indian economy. The government aims to position India as a global hub for battery chemicals, speciality chemicals, and semiconductor chemicals by 2040 by aligning national initiatives including the Critical Mineral Mission, Rare Earth Corridor, India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, National Manufacturing Mission, and FDI reforms.
The BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme was highlighted as not just an infrastructure program but an attempt to create an environment for innovation, investment, and expansion in the chemicals industry. The guidelines for the scheme have been released, and industry has been urged to engage with state governments for timely submission of proposals.
The Department is pursuing the Department of Science and Technology to declare chemicals and petrochemicals as a priority sector to access the new Research Development Innovation Scheme (RDI) which has an outlay of approximately ₹1 lakh crore. These initiatives are targeted at developing the Indian chemical sector into a USD 1 trillion industry by 2040.
Secretary Tejveer Singh stated that the vision of dedicated chemical parks is close to reality through the BHAVYA Rasayan scheme, which will feature best-in-class facilities including plug-and-play infrastructure to improve production efficiencies. The Department is also working with DPIIT on import substitution exercises that include the chemical and petrochemical sector.
The India Chem 2026 event will comprise an international exhibition and conference bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, researchers, and international participants. The event will feature sector-specific conclaves on Agrochemicals, Petrochemicals, Speciality Chemicals, Infrastructure, Environment issues, and Process, plant and Machinery, as well as region-specific forums for India-US, India-EU, India-Russia, and India-Japan partnerships. The theme is "Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Hub," reflecting India's growing capabilities in the global chemicals sector.