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Home > Business > Business Headline > Report

DuPont seeks biotech pact with Reliance

BS Corporate Bureau in New Delhi | February 08, 2003 12:13 IST

Charles Holliday, chairman and CEO of DuPont, wants to explore co-operation with Reliance in biotechnology.

"Reliance has made some headway in basic biotechnology research. We are open to the possibility of cooperation with it in this area. However, we have not discussed concrete plans," Holliday said.

The CEO of the world's largest science company had an hour-long meeting with Reliance group chairman Mukesh Ambani.

This apart, Holliday also said there was a possibility of DuPont tying up with some domestic research laboratories. His appointments in the Capital include President A P J Abdul Kalam, Ranbaxy chief DS Brar and scientists in TERI, where he speaks on sustainable development.

Holliday, the youngest chairman of DuPont, has charted a new course for the company.

"We are working on a product that will hopefully replace the use of glass on display panels in mobile phones, PDAs and even television sets below 13 inches. It will be cheaper than glass, will have a longer life and will improve clarity of data," Holliday said.

He is also banking on the invention of a new fibre, 'sorona,' which he claims is one of the most important products after nylon.

"The new product is between polyester and nylon and catches dyes very well, making brilliant colours possible. It also has some stretchable and recovery capacity. It is a unique product and we hope it will become big," he points out.

Holliday also sees a big potential in India for selling technology needed for making aseptic packaging for liquids. The US company has just bought over Liqui-Box, which makes aseptic packages and also has an Indian arm.

"We plan to expand this business in India as I see a tremendous growth in packaged liquid products that can be kept on shelves for long. And we can provide that technology," he said.

Holliday, an old India hand -- this is his eighth visit -- has been in the thick of things during DuPont's controversial entry into India with the Nylon 6,6 project, when he headed the Asian operations.

Asked why the promised $1 billion investment in India fell through, Holiday said: "We have set manufacturing facilitates in markets where our customers are -- like Singapore, which caters to Southeast Asia. These markets have an advantage over India in predictable tariffs, competitive costs, good infrastructure. India has progressed, but not as much as we would like. That makes us conservative on investments here."
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