Mumbai, India - December 16, 2014 - BASF India Limited and Würth India ("Würth") announced today  that effective January 1, 2015, Würth India will take over the import, distribution and technical service in India of Glasurit®, a BASF premium automotive refinish paint brand. 

"BASF and Würth are leading suppliers in the automotive sector and both have many years of experience in the automotive aftersales market," said Dr. Raman Ramachandran, Chairman and Managing Director, BASF India Limited and Head of BASF in South Asia. "The real value comes from helping our potential customers to become more successful by having better access to first-class automotive refinish solutions."

"This partnership of BASF with Würth underlines our commitment to delivering premium automotive refinish products to bodyshop customers in India," said Mr. Christophe Cazabeau, Head of Coatings Solutions, BASF India Limited. "The extensive distribution network of Würth, coupled with their expertise in the automotive aftersales market, make them the ideal partner. Our Glasurit® team in India, comprising product and technical experts, will also be transferred to Würth to support a smooth transition and to ensure the high-quality service to our customers remains uninterrupted."

"We are delighted that BASF has chosen Würth as their partner. We have a strong sales and distribution network with 1,000 sales force in India that has been established over the course of the last 20 years. We are convinced that our local business partners will be excited about the opportunity to have access to BASF's premium automotive refinish products," commented Dr. Markus Dichtl, Managing Director of Würth India. "Würth is looking at a high expansion speed in India. Glasurit® and the cooperation with BASF will play a vital role in this," Dr. Dichtl added.

Produced in Europe since 1888, Glasurit®, is a leading brand in the passenger car and commercial vehicle refinishing sector.  It offers innovative paint products and systems to bodyshops all over the world.  Glasurit® automotive refinish products have been approved for use by nearly all leading car manufacturers throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.glasurit.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry - and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world's leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

About Würth

The Würth Group is world market leader in its core business, the trade in assembly and fastening material. It currently consists of over 400 companies in 84 countries and has more than 66,000 employees. Over 32,000 of these are sales representatives. In the business year 2013, the Würth Group generated total sales of EUR 9.745 billion. Würth in India with a Team of 1000 Sales Team members is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and has 40 stock points spread all across the Country. With it's Direct Sales model, Wuerth caters to the needs of all Automotive OEM Dealerships/ Authorized Service Centers, Multi-brand & Private Workshops with Maintenance Consumables, Tools & Equipment, Safety Products and an entire range of Body Shop Repair Tools & Consumables. Apart from their Automotive business, Wuerth also caters to the Construction and Industrial Maintenance sector and services more than 30,000 Customers directly. Further information on Würth is available on the Internet at www.wuerth.com.

Media contacts

BASF India Limited

Mr. Christian Schroepfer

Phone: +91 22 6661 8177

christian.schroepfer@basf.com

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