Noted Indian rubber technologist, Dr Arup Saha Deuri, passed away on Friday in a Kolkata hospital. Dr Deuri’s demise took place due to a liver problem.

Dr Deuri received his graduation degree at Presidency College, Kolkata and post-graduation degree from IIT Kharagpur. A thorough analytical and research-focused scientist, he had been a true fit for R&D in the tyre industry since the time the tyre industry started focusing on R&D in India.

He was the Head of R&D at Balkrishna Tyre Limited (BKT) at their Bhuj (Gujarat) plant. He had earlier worked in the R&D department at JK Tyre’s Kankroli plant for over 22 years. He had also worked in R&D at Philips Carbon Black (Durgapur) for three years. This was followed by stepping into R&D again in the Birla Tyres Laskar (Haridwar) plant for about five years.

Dr Deuri was one of the critical members since the green-field stage of the R&D set-up of JK Tyre at Kankroli, Rajasthan (presently HASETRI at Mysore). He also worked and contributed to the Indian Rubber Industry (IRI) in a big way since its IRI Rajasthan Branch inception (formerly Jaykaygram sub-branch at JK Tyre Kankroli, Rajasthan) till today. Moreover, he was a fellow member of IRI, ACS Rubber Division and Indian Thermal Analysis Society, with 200 publications to his credit and two patents with the 4^th PMPS Award in 2005. Dr Deuri was a Lead Assessor in NABL with credits for auditing several laboratories in India from NABL. In addition, he was the speaker at various national and international rubber and rubber materials conferences in India and abroad, the last one being IRC 2022 held in November 2022 in Bengaluru.

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping co-products, a global price increase for all polymer products with effect from 1 April 2026. The price hike will range from USD 440 per MT to USD 700 per MT, or as individual contract terms permit, with the exact price change varying according to the polymer type and production location.

The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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German specialty chemicals company LANXESS has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of functional additives for the manufacture of tyres and speciality rubbers. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by 15 to 50 percent.

The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing geopolitical conflict, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of speciality carbon black. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by up to 25 percent.

In a strategic move to address persistent market volatility, the company is also implementing a variable surcharge on top of the base price increase. The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price hike across its global polymers portfolio, responding directly to significant upheavals in international commodity markets triggered by the recent military conflict in the Middle East. This geopolitical instability has created pronounced distortions throughout the supply chain, leading to a sharp escalation in the costs of essential inputs. The company is experiencing substantially higher prices for crude oil and natural gas as well as for various other raw materials and logistics services.

To address this challenging economic landscape and offset the considerable burden of increased raw material and transportation expenses, the chemical group is implementing price adjustments effective 1 April 2026. The updated pricing will apply to several key product categories, specifically including polymer dispersions, a variety of resins and dispersible polymer powders. This strategic move is essential for the company to maintain operational stability and continue delivering its products reliably amidst the volatile market conditions.

The final scale of these price increases is not a fixed, across-the-board figure but will be determined by specific variables. It will largely depend on the original source of the product, with goods manufactured at the company’s European and Asian production sites being most affected. Furthermore, the terms outlined in existing customer contracts will also play a crucial role in defining the exact extent of the adjustment, ensuring a tailored approach to the implementation of this necessary price correction.

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