Ansell Kovai Packing and Irradiation Operations – Phase 1 Go Live

Hyderabad/Erode, 23rd March 2023: Ansell, a world leader in personal protective equipment, will unveil Phase 1 Go Live of ANSELL KOVAI – Packing & Irradiation Operations in India. This event will be presented by the Ansell senior leadership team: Neil Salmon – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, John Marsden – Sr. Vice President Operations, Gerald Koh – VP Engineering & Mfg. Technology, Dilip Savaikar – VP Manufacturing Operations, Anton Fernando – Director Manufacturing Ops, Gobu Devarajan – Director QARA, as well as local government officials, customers, community leaders and other stakeholders.

The agenda for the event includes:

· Kovai Plant Project Update

· Ansell Growth Plans in India

· A meet & greet with consultants, contractors and other stakeholders

· Cultural programs and refreshments

· Plant tour and giveaways

Ansell Kovai Background

In July 2021, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M. K. Stalin and Industry Minister of the State, Thiru Thangam Thennarasu, laid the foundation stone for this $80M greenfield manufacturing plant investment as part of the Investment Conclave, an event organized by the State Industries Department and Guidance Tamil Nadu Team. As an innovative global leader in hand protection solutions, Ansell is proud to invest in India under the ‘Made in India’ initiative (Atmanirbhar Bharat), and to meet the ongoing demand in India, the world’s fastest-growing Surgical and Life Sciences market, for innovative glove solutions.

Ansell India will be the sole glove manufacturing facility in India with an in-house integrated Gamma Sterilization Unit. This technology ensures the product is fully sterilized.

July 2022 marked a milestone when Ansell’s Kovai manufacturing plant became operational. Ansell Kovai provides Ansell with strategic production capabilities in fast-developing emerging markets like India, and strengthens Ansell’s global multi-sourcing strategies, which enables Ansell to maintain production of essential products, even during market disruptions such as the global pandemic.

Ansell Kovai: Sustainability

With Kovai, Ansell sets a new benchmark for sustainable manufacturing. When the site is fully operational, this facility will mark a glove-industry milestone by operating with zero liquid discharge, meaning that all wastewater is fully recycled and re-used in production. In addition, all the Kovai buildings are designed according to criteria established by the Indian Green Building Council in 2001 to support India’s aim to become a global leader in sustainably built environments by 2025. A ‘sustainably built’ environment is designed for longevity, flexibility, adaptability, re-use and recoverability, and considers future climate risks.

A greenfield project represents an investment in which a new customized operations facility is built from the ground up rather than adapting or adding to an existing facility. The unique construction materials used for the Kovai plant incorporate low-carbon, low-impact, non-toxic and re-purposed materials. Ansell has made a commitment to shift away from fossil-fuel based energy sources at our plants and utilize renewable energy alternatives. As a result, the new plant design minimizes water and energy use and maximizes renewable energy sources, including sustainably sourced biomass for thermal energy and solar photovoltaic panels, and will emit zero liquid discharge – with up to 80% of wastewater recycled as we move toward our goal of one hundred percent renewable energy use at this site.

Kovai staff will approach 1,800 employees, with most employees hired from the local area plus room for additional future headcount. We are committed to establishing and achieving gender balance targets from the outset throughout all levels of leadership.

Future Growth

While production primarily focuses on manufacturing surgical and life sciences products, this facility is designed with significant future expansion capability to accommodate a wide range of Ansell products, such as our examination glove line, and supporting our differentiated growth strategy in the coming years.

When completed in 2024, Ansell Kovai will occupy a 70,734 square meter area, encompassing a 43,000 sq. mt. manufacturing plant, compounding facility, dipping hall, post-processing building, warehouse, packaging facility, administrative block, canteen, biomass hot water generators, and an Industrial Gamma Irradiator.