Indian Oil's Product Application and Development Centre to be inaugurated on Thursday

In order to facilitate and support development of polymer industry in Odisha and eastern part of the country, a Product Application and Development Centre (PADC) has been set up by the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) at Paradip with a capex of Rs 43 crore.

Built on 5 acres near IOCLs refinery and pharmaceutical complex, the PADC will be inaugurated jointly by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patanaik and Union Petroleum and Steel minister Dharmendra Pradhan through a virtual platform on Thursday, a company press release said.

The technical centre, the sixth of its kind in the country and second such technical establishment in the east, is a recognised laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

In line with 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' scheme of the Union government, the PADC will be working on development of newer grades from Paradip and curtail polymer imports through substitution.

Innovative application development is a prime focus of the Centre to replace imports of finished goods in niche fabrics and technical textiles, it said.

The Centre will identify areas for development of applications of polymeric material to become self-reliant by promoting indigenous manufacturing, the release said.

The Centre would also act as a supporting technical centre for polyester yarns and fabrics for the upcoming textile downstream units in Bhadrak and Dhamra, it said.

The PADC would be working closely in application and development of polymers in collaboration with research institutes such as Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Bhubaneswar, Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET), Chennai and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune.