India’s rapidly evolving green building movement and smart city initiatives present tremendous opportunities for innovation. Covestro is positioning itself as a transformative partner in this journey by bringing our global expertise and technologies to address India’s unique challenges. Over the next decade, we see ourselves driving three major shifts in India’s construction landscape.
Q. Covestro is globally recognized for its push towards circular economy practices. How are your advanced polymer materials supporting sustainable construction and infrastructure development in India?
Covestro’s Coatings and Adhesives business is advancing sustainable construction in India through its CQ portfolio, featuring products like Desmodur® CQ, which uses bio-based and mass-balanced raw materials. Covestro’s new Desmodur® ultra trimer facility in Ankleshwar supports local, low-VOC, high-performance coatings. In collaboration with Henkel, Covestro
developed bio-based adhesives for engineered wood in construction, reducing carbon footprints. These innovations align with India’s green building goals and Covestro’s circular economy vision.
Q.With construction being one of the most energy-intensive sectors, how is Covestro enabling builders and developers to reduce carbon footprints through renewable energy integration and energy efficient materials?
Covestro’s Coatings and Adhesives business supports low-carbon construction through energy-efficient materials and renewable energy integration. Waterborne polyurethane dispersions like Bayhydrol® offer low-VOC, high durability coatings for wood, metal, and concrete, enhancing energy efficiency and indoor air quality. These materials are ideal for green buildings and
infrastructure. Additionally, Covestro integrates renewable energy into its operations and targets climate-neutral production by 2035, reinforcing its commitment to circular economy principles and helping builders meet India’s sustainability and energy-efficiency goals.
Q. From insulation to coatings, polymers play a huge role in modern buildings. Could you highlight some of Covestro’s latest innovations tailored to improve durability, energy efficiency, and cost effectiveness in construction projects?
coatings. Its polyurea coatings offer ultra fast curing, extreme elasticity, and chemical resistance—ideal for waterproofing roofs, basements, and industrial floors. For broader applications, 2K PU waterborne coatings deliver excellent mechanical strength, UV resistance, and low VOCs, making them suitable for high-traffic areas. Meanwhile, 1K PU dispersions provide
easy-to-apply, moisture-curing waterproofing for terraces and foundations, balancing performance with cost-effectiveness. These systems reduce maintenance, extend building lifespans, and support green certifications.
Q. How is Covestro working with construction companies to implement circular economy models such as recycling,
reusing materials, or alternative raw materials in large-scale infrastructure projects?
Covestro’s approach to circular economy in construction is multifaceted, focusing on collaboration across the value chain. Our
“Circular Foam” project, coordinated with 24 partners, exemplifies this commitment to finding recycling solutions for rigid polyurethane foam, a traditionally challenging material to recycle.
In India specifically, our collaboration with CSIR NCL is developing innovative chemical upcycling methods for polyurethane waste. This partnership addresses existing challenges in recycling polyurethane, including high energy usage and material quality deterioration. The technology being developed has the potential to convert polyurethane waste into valuable chemical
resources, creating a true circular pathway. We’re also implementing our mass balance approach through ISCC PLUS certified facility at Greater Noida.
This allows us to attribute alternative raw materials to specific products, offering construction companies in India a way to integrate more sustainable materials into their supply chains without compromising on performance or quality. For large-scale infrastructure projects, we work directly with construction companies to implement our “Design for Recycling” principles. This approach ensures that materials are selected and assembled in ways that facilitate future recycling and reuse. By considering the entire lifecycle of a building from design to demolition, we’re creating pathways for materials to remain in use for much longer periods.
Q. India is witnessing massive growth in green buildings and smart cities. What role does Covestro see itself playing in shaping the future of India’s sustainable construction landscape over the next decade?
India’s rapidly evolving green building movement and smart city initiatives present tremendous opportunities for innovation. Covestro is positioning itself as a transformative partner in this journey by bringing our global expertise and technologies to address India’s unique challenges.
Over the next decade, we see ourselves driving three major shifts in India’s construction landscape. First, we’ll continue expanding our portfolio of low-carbon and circular building materials tailored to Indian climate conditions and construction practices. Our Greater Noida facility, with its ISCC PLUS certification, will be instrumental in providing these sustainable solutions locally.
Second, we’re investing in collaborative innovation networks across India, exemplified by our partnership with CSIR-NCL. These
collaborations will develop localized solutions that address India’s specific sustainability challenges while creating economic
opportunities through new recycling and upcycling value chains.
Finally, we’re committed to knowledge transfer and capacity building in sustainable construction practices. By working with
developers, architects, and construction companies, we’re helping integrate advanced materials and circular economy principles into mainstream construction practices across India. We want to support the country advance to more sustainable building technologies, avoiding the high-carbon development, while simultaneously addressing affordability and performance needs unique to the Indian market.
Q. Covestro has been forming international collaborations to accelerate sustainability. How do such partnerships translate into benefits for India’s construction sector, and what localized strategies are you adopting?
Covestro’s international collaborations provide a powerful platform for bringing advanced sustainable technologies to India. Through our global network of partners, including research institutions, technology providers, and industry leaders, we can adapt proven solutions to address local challenges. A concrete example is our “Circular Foam” project, which brought together 24 partners across multiple countries. The recycling technologies developed through such initiative will accelerate the implementation of circular economy principles at local level as well.
Additionally, our localized strategy centres on three pillars. First, we’re establishing local production of sustainable materials, as demonstrated by our ISCC PLUS certified Greater Noida site. Second, we’re forming partnerships with Indian institutions and companies that understand local construction practices and challenges. These collaborations also ensure that our global technologies are effectively adapted to meet India’s unique climate conditions, regulatory environment, and market needs. Finally, we’re investing in education and skill development within the chemical industry. Therefore, through local and international collaborations, we aim to deliver tangible benefits to India’s construction sector, helping drive the transition to more sustainable infrastructure.
