Petrochemical integration drives India’s advanced equipment market

India

Haresh Sippy, chairman and managing director of Tema India, talks to The Energy Year about adjusting the company portfolio to participate in India’s largest, most sophisticated energy projects and capture revenue streams from international markets.

Tema India is a process equipment manufacturer specialising in high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) and hazardous environments.

• India is seeing a new wave of investment as companies seek to scale their output to meet rising energy demand and industrial growth. The capex cycle is extending from refining to gas processing, petrochemical integration and new energy projects
• The process equipment segment is increasingly called upon to deliver highly integrated projects involving advanced equipment able to withstand HPHT and corrosive operating conditions.
• As decarbonisation becomes more important across India’s industries, demand for hydrogen and ammonia production systems, as well as equipment for CCS applications, is giving rise to new domestic production chains.

India is entering a new capex cycle across hydrocarbons, chemicals and power. How is Tema India positioning itself for this wave of investment?
The past 18 months have been transformational for us. We have reshaped Tema into a far more agile, technology-driven and globally oriented engineering company. Under the Tema 2.0 programme, we delivered 124% profit growth, crossed the 80% export threshold and executed some of our most complex contracts ahead of schedule.
During this period, we delivered six FPSO programmes simultaneously, supplying more than 150 high-integrity equipment packages for critical offshore applications, and receiving appreciation letters from leaders such as Seatrium and Saipem for early delivery. This demonstrates our ability to manage complexity at scale, which is essential in capex-heavy environments.
We also expanded our infrastructure with new manufacturing bays, dust-free enclosures, gas-fired furnaces and automated welding systems to take our manufacturing capabilities to a new level. Our facilities in Achhad, Kherdi and Panoli can now handle equipment up to 400 tonnes with precision across exotic materials, nickel alloys, stainless steel and a range of clad combinations.

India’s refining, petrochemical and gas-processing projects are growing in both scale and complexity. Where do you fit into this ecosystem?
There is a dramatic shift under way from conventional refining expansions to complex petrochemical integrations, green hydrogen pilots and deep gas processing capacity additions. As projects grow in complexity, they demand equipment partners who can deliver not just at scale, but with precision and licensor-driven specifications compliance.
We are not just a supplier. We are an enabler in this transformation. Our shell and tube heat exchangers, high-pressure vessels, columns and reactors are built for the HPHT, corrosive and emissions environments where these projects take place. With more than 9,000 units delivered globally, approvals from leading licensors and EPC contractors and ongoing projects in India’s most prestigious energy programmes, Tema is aligned as a strategic partner for the next wave of India’s oil and gas growth.
Tema was the first Indian company to manufacture heat exchangers for FPSOs. We also established India’s first private-sector test facility for atomic energy applications. The project achieved results that exceeded industry benchmarks, demonstrating that we can expand beyond petrochemicals and deliver in other challenging sectors.

As industries decarbonise, what role do you see for the company in emerging clean-energy value chains?
Energy systems are undergoing a fundamental redesign as the world moves towards net-zero, and Tema India’s role is evolving with them. We already supply process equipment for blue and green hydrogen, green ammonia and CCS projects, sectors where robust metallurgy, pressure containment and emissions control are non-negotiable. Our experience with hydrogen service materials, high-integrity welding and low-leakage designs makes us a trusted partner for licensors and EPC contractors in this space.
As decarbonisation scales up, the demand for high-integrity, corrosion-resistant, emissions-compliant equipment will only grow worldwide. Through our joint ventures – Tema Arabia in Saudi Arabia, Tema Gulf Heavy Engineering in Oman, Tema Heatec in Singapore and Tema Brazil – and our manufacturing and technology collaborations in the UK, US and Mexico, we are localising high-performance fabrication in energy-transition hubs.

What is the extent of your international footprint now, and how do you see the company’s global journey unfolding?
Our international footprint is the largest it has ever been. More than 80% of our revenues now come from exports, and we deliver to more than 35 countries. Looking ahead, our international journey will not be just about exports, but about embedding ourselves into the supply chains of global energy players.
From the Americas to the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe, we have grown our presence by aligning with what customers value most: metallurgical strength, code compliance, emissions integrity and reliable delivery.
We have created a network of strategic joint ventures to enter supply chains, support local content programmes and generate in‑country value. These platforms aren’t just sales offices; they are operational bases aligned with local requirements and mega-project timelines.
We have also expanded our product portfolio, which now includes air-cooled heat exchangers, air pre-heaters, modular skids, industrial dryers and our Tema-designed RedLok high-pressure, self-energising clamped connectors to strengthen our relevance in global tenders as a specialist in high-performance process equipment. We are well on our way.

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