BASF and National Academy of Construction partner to support sustainable construction in India

• BASF India Limited and National Academy of Construction (NAC) sign agreement to support sustainable development of construction industry
• Fosters industry-academic partnership in India, promotes construction chemical  solutions, and supports NAC’s curriculum development and  coach training needs
• Targets 1000 participants from across construction industry value-chain

Mumbai/Hyderabad, India – December 10, 2013 – BASF India Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Academy of Construction (NAC), a vocational training institution established by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, India.

The objective of the partnership is to launch a joint program to upskill workforce and increase mobility & employability across the construction industry, while promoting the advantages of construction chemical solutions which help increase the durability, improve resource efficiency and ensure climate protection.

“Improving sustainability in the construction industry in India requires a highly trained and knowledge-based workforce. Together with the extensive reach of NAC, BASF endeavors to boost the development of the construction industry by sharing knowledge on technologies, products and expertise with industry practitioners,” said Dr. Raman Ramachandran, Chairman, BASF Companies in India & Head South Asia.

“The program aims to enhance professionalism in the construction industry by improving the knowledge and ability of construction workers, engineers, contractors, managers and supervisors.

Beneficiaries include low-skilled youth across the value chain in various construction trades”, said Mr. P K Agarwal, Director General of NAC”

As part of the agreement, BASF will assist NAC in developing the curriculum in three broad areas: “Rehabilitation & repairs of buildings”, “Waterproofing & use of construction chemicals in buildings” and “Use of admixtures in concrete”. BASF will also take part in coaching around 100 teachers from NAC on both, the theoretical as well as the practical aspects of selection and effective usage of construction chemicals.

Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Upen Patel, Business Director, Construction Chemicals, BASF, said, “In addition to enhancing the competency of the industry workmen, the strategic partnership will

offer an ideal platform for us to strengthen existing awareness about the varied benefits and advantages of using BASF’s broad construction chemicals product portfolio; to improve energy efficiency, durability and speed of construction.”

About National Academy of Construction

National Academy of Construction (NAC) is an ISO 9001:2008 certified Institute. It is also a Vocational Training Provider as recognized by Government of India and also represented on the National Council for Vocational Training for one term. NAC has eight constituent units covering all sectors of the Construction Industry. The campus has an auditorium with 500 seating capacity, seminar halls, classrooms, hostel blocks, dormitory, Quality control and testing Laboratory for construction materials, Material Display Block, Practice Ground etc. NAC has very experienced in-house faculty of 750 personnel and visiting faculty exposed to major projects.

Further information on NAC is available on the Internet at www.nac.edu.in.

About BASF India

BASF has successfully partnered India’s progress for over a century, with 13 out of 14 global businesses being present in India today. BASF in India maintains excellent performance in environment, health and safety, in line with BASF global and internationally accepted standards. On the social front, our community development activities focus on relief and rehabilitation, women's empowerment, education, and improving governance standards. BASF in India has 2,157 employees at nine production sites, 8 sales offices and two R&D centers. In 2012, BASF registered sales of €1.14 billion to customers in India.

About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. 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 €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 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.