Schott AG, a global leader in pharmaceutical glass manufacturing, has inaugurated a new melting tank in its Gujarat-based plant with an approximate EUR 25 million investment. The new tank would increase the plant’s production capacity by 10,000 tons to reach an annual capacity of 40000 metric tons.
Schott AG has been a frontrunner in the global fight against Coronavirus, with a commitment to provide its specialized pharma glass to store billions of Covid-19 vaccines. The melting furnace has been constructed within one year to enable a 25% increase in the plant’s overall production capacity to support the pharma industry facing a huge demand surge for pharma packaging products.
Schott Glass India’s managing director, Pawan Shukla, stated, “India has stepped up as a responsible leader in the global fight against Coronavirus. Schott remains committed to ensure that there is adequate supply of its high-quality pharma glass for the Indian pharma industry. Moreover, as Schott’s manufacturing hub in Asia, we have taken up the responsibility to cater to our clients in India as well as in neighboring countries.”
The melting tank is a part of the company’s commitment to invest over EUR 47 million in its Indian plant and double its capacity to produce the highly specialized Fiolax tubing material for both domestic and export demands. Despite the pandemic induced lockdown, Schott employees and engineers continued working at the Jambusar plant to enable the construction of the new tank in the defined timeframe. According to Schott, the expansion has resulted in an additional employment of over 120 skilled workforce, taking the overall count to 420 employees.
German project engineer and expert for Melting Technology, Norbert Osterhage, who was overseeing the project, chose to stay in India during the lockdown to ensure that the melting tank is operational in time, especially now as quality glass vials and syringes have become the need of the hour for Covid-19 treatment.
“All players within the global pharma supply chain have a key role to play in the ongoing fight against Coronavirus. Schott is already providing its glass to majority pharma packaging leaders for storing Covid-19 medication, and delivering glass vials to three out of every four Covid-19 vaccine projects undergoing various phases of testing*. Our Indian facility is an integral part of our pledge to cater to any requirement of the pharma industry in a sustainable manner,” said Patrick Markschläger, executive vice president, Schott AG, Business Unit Tubing.
Schott’s specialized glass tubing, Fiolax, is the gold standard for pharmaceutical packaging for over a century. According to Schott, the material is best suited for potential Covid-19 vaccines and existing medications, as it avoids the interactions between containers and the drug formulation, limiting its effectiveness.
Headquartered in Mainz, Germany, Schott is a leading international technology group in specialty glass, glass-ceramics, and related high-tech materials. With over 130 years of experience, the company is an innovative partner to many industries, including the home appliance, pharma, electronics, optics, life sciences, automotive, and aviation industries. Schott has a global presence with production sites and sales offices in 34 countries, including India.
