Bayer inaugurated a new Global Formulation Technology Laboratory at its site in Vapi, Gujarat. The plant in Vapi is a production site for active ingredients for the crop science division of Bayer globally, with expertise in Analytics and Formulation development.

In India the demand for high quality food is growing rapidly with its fast growing population and rising incomes. "With our innovative crop protection products, we are contributing to finding solutions to some of the major challenges of our time including feeding a fast growing world population ." said Dr. Bernhard Grimmig, Global Head of Formulation Technology at Crop Science, a division of Bayer. "Bayer is aiming at providing high yielding seeds, efficacious and safe crop protection solutions and services for farmers worldwide to secure their harvests and incomes."

"Bayer has a long presence in India with the development and production of crop protection chemicals as well as the provision of seeds for vegetables and arable crops. The transformation and importance of Indian Agriculture in the last decades has been a critical factor in determining Bayer's long term investments in the country in order to meet the growing demand for improved seeds, professional pest management products and integrated crop management solutions for major agricultural crops. In the last few years, Bayer has been making strategic investments in various research & development, production, and infrastructure projects in India", said Richard van der Merwe, Senior Bayer Representative, South Asia.

Bayer has invested more than EUR 2 million for this laboratory. With this new facility, the company aims to increase resource flexibility in its global formulation activities, helping to increase its capacities for innovations around formulation and delivery technologies. The new formulation lab unit will focus on developing seed treatments, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides for the local demand of smallholder farmers, and also for regional and global demand.

"This is a special achievement as this is the first Crop Science formulation development facility in this region and demonstrates the importance of the region for our future business", added Grimmig.

K R Sekhar, Managing Director, Bayer Vapi Private Ltd. added, "The Laboratory is the culmination of fantastic team work across different functions within Bayer. It is a collaborative effort to provide customers with the best possible, world-class solutions in agrochemicals."

Bayer Vapi is a core manufacturing site for Bayer globally. It employs close to 1300 people. The site has invested heavily in upgrading its safety and environment aspects in order to make it comparable with world standards. It aims at high powered research and development, along with the manufacture of eco-friendly, innovative and internationally competitive agrochemicals. The site is engaged in the manufacturing of active ingredients for use in a wide array of products for modern sustainable agriculture, professional pest management and animal health.