Dec. 2, 2025 - On November 19, a ceremony was held at Calderys’ brand-new plant of Odisha, India, to celebrate significant progress, including the commissioning of the second of six lines. The event, hosted by the project and the site leadership teams, was attended by Calderys’ President & CEO Michel Cornelissen, Senior Vice President APAC Ish Mohan Garg, Chief Financial Officer Sander Bovee, Global Vice President Operations Excellence David Secret, and Global Vice President Innovation & Technology Bruno Touzo.
Foundation stones unveiled
During the visit, leadership formally unveiled a series of foundation stones for core elements of the site including:
The general administrative building
Quality & process control facilities
Two advanced acidic and basic monolithics production lines
This symbolic moment marked the consecration of key assets already moving toward a commercial scale.
A journey from vision to reality
At the event, the team showcased the rapid evolution of the project through a video featuring the remarkable journey so far: in less than two years, CAPES has gone from groundbreaking to two fully commissioned production lines, an ambitious pace achieved through strong execution, coordinated global expertise, and exceptional collaboration across teams.
The delegation also toured the site to observe construction progress firsthand and took part in a tree plantation drive as a symbol of Calderys’ commitment to sustainable development. The visit concluded with the presentation of mementos to the senior executives as a gesture of appreciation.
Strengthening India’s industrial supply chain
Once fully completed, the plant will house six advanced production lines manufacturing acidic and basic monolithics and bricks, precast shapes, fluxes, and tap-hole clays and will become the world’s largest single-site production facility for refractories and steel casting fluxes. Strategically located in Odisha, the plant will support faster delivery, strengthened supply security, and localized production for India’s fast-expanding steel, cement, aluminum, petrochemical, and other industries.
With state-of-the-art testing, automation, and precision manufacturing systems, it is designed to meet global standards for sustainability, operational excellence, and product performance.
Looking ahead
While two production lines have already entered commercial operation, construction continues at a high pace. Full expansion of the facility is scheduled to continue through 2026, reaffirming Calderys’ commitment to “Make in India” and strengthening industrial capability in the region.
CAPES represents a major strategic investment—not only in India’s industrial growth, but in the communities surrounding the site, whose development and inclusion remain a core element of the project’s success.
AD
