Assam Petro-Chemicals

What Assam Petro-Chemicals does

Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) is a state-level public sector undertaking incorporated on 22 April 1971 under the Government of Assam, with the Government of Assam group (Governor of Assam, AIDC, AGCL) holding 51% and Oil India Limited holding 48.79%. It operates India's first petrochemical complex using natural gas as feedstock, drawing on Upper Assam oil-field gas reserves to produce methanol and formalin (a 37% formaldehyde solution). Post-expansion, the company runs aggregate capacity of 600 TPD methanol (198,000 tonnes/year) at the Namrup facility, commissioned April 2023, and 325 TPD formalin (116,000 tonnes/year) across Namrup and the new Boitamari plant commissioned 3 September 2025. The Rs 1,709 crore mega expansion dedicated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 underpins this scale.

The company serves industrial B2B customers across four primary segments: plywood, laminate and MDF manufacturers using formalin as an adhesive resin; pharmaceutical firms using methanol as a solvent; chemical manufacturers producing formaldehyde, fertilizers, pesticides, MTBE and biodiesel derivatives; and export customers in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct engagement with large industrial accounts and a dealer network across the North Zone (methanol) and Bihar/West Bengal zones (formalin), with a regional sales office in Rani Nagar, West Bengal. Revenue mechanics are bulk one-time industrial sales at undisclosed contract pricing; latest disclosed turnover was Rs 11,157.31 lakhs (FY2018-19).

Technology stacks include Haldor Topsoe (Denmark) methanol synthesis for the 500 TPD plant, Beijing Zehua (China) acetic acid technology for the planned 200 TPD acetic acid unit, and a partnership with Biofriends Inc. (South Korea) for a planned 40,000 TPD DiMethyl Ether plant with environmental clearance from MoEF. Future positioning targets green-fuel markets via a 150 TPD e-methanol plant at Kandla Port (MoU with Deendayal Port Authority, 30 January 2026, Rs 1,200 crore investment), enabled by an Inland Waterways Authority of India MoU for Brahmaputra-based distribution. APL maintains BIS certification for methanol and operates a head office in Guwahati plus manufacturing at Namrup and Boitamari with a regional sales office in Rani Nagar.

Name

Assam Petro-Chemicals

Legal name

Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited

Website

https://assampetrochemicals.co.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited is an Indian state PSU producing methanol (600 TPD) and formalin (325 TPD) from natural gas at Namrup and Boitamari, Assam, supplying plywood, pharmaceutical, chemical and SAARC export customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Petrochemicals

NAICS

Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519), Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

C1 & Synthesis Gas Derivatives (Methanol, Formaldehyde, Acetic Acid) (IMAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Methanol & Derivatives Feedstocks (Methanol-to-Olefins/Propylene, Formaldehyde chain) (EUALAHAF)

Keywords

• Methanol production
• Formaldehyde manufacturing
• Petrochemical manufacturing
• Industrial chemical supply
• Natural gas chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Guwahati

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Methanol Sales: Production and sale of methanol (600 TPD capacity, 198,000 tonnes/year) to chemical, pharmaceutical, and energy industries domestically and for export.
2. Formalin Sales: Production and sale of formalin/formaldehyde (325 TPD capacity, 116,000 tonnes/year) primarily to plywood, laminate, and MDF manufacturers, with exports to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
3. E-Methanol (Future): Planned production of green/e-methanol at Kandla Port in partnership with Deendayal Port Authority, targeting marine fuel and chemical feedstock markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) is a state Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of Assam that manufactures methanol and formaldehyde (formalin) from natural gas at its Namrup and Boitamari plants in Assam. Its installed capacity stands at 500+100 TPD of methanol and 50+125+150 TPD of formalin, with a 150 TPD e-methanol plant and 200 TPD formalin plant at Boitamari under commissioning alongside a new acetic acid unit. APL is the sole methanol and formalin producer in the North-East region of India, supplying downstream industries and exporting to neighbouring SAARC countries.

Product overview

Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) is a petrochemical company producing methanol and formalin as its core products. The product portfolio includes: Methanol (600 TPD/198,000 tonnes per year capacity) which serves as a building block for chemical industries; and Formalin/Formaldehyde (325 TPD/116,000 tonnes per year capacity) used by plywood, laminate, and MDF manufacturers. The company operates from facilities at Namrup (Dibrugarh district) and Boitamari (Bongaigaon district) in Assam, with expansion plans including a 150 TPD e-methanol plant at Kandla Port. The company exports to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Methanol (Industrial/Pharma grade) Industrial and pharma-grade methanol produced from natural gas, supplied as bulk liquid for use by chemical, pharmaceutical, and downstream manufacturers; the company's flagship bulk petrochemical product.
• Formalin (Formaldehyde 37-44%) Formaldehyde in aqueous solution (formalin), sold to plywood, laminate, MDF, resin, paint and disinfectant manufacturers across Eastern India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
• Acetic Acid (planned product using Beijing Zehua technology) Acetic Acid production by methanol carbonylation, planned under Beijing Zehua's licensed technology as a downstream integration to APL's methanol output for industrial buyers.
• E-Methanol (Green Methanol, under commissioning at Boitamari) Green/e-methanol produced at Boitamari using captured CO2 and green hydrogen pathways, intended as sustainable petrochemical feedstock for chemical, fuel additive (MTBE), and bio-fuel industry customers.
• 200 TPD Formalin Plant (Boitamari) Dedicated formalin production plant at Boitamari, Assam, expanding APL's formalin capacity and reducing logistics costs for downstream plywood/resin manufacturers in the South and East.
• Di-Methyl Ether (DME) plant Planned product under development by APL, leveraging captive methanol for the production of Di-Methyl Ether, an LPG substitute/auto fuel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 TPD methanol plant dedicated to nation by PM on 14 April 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Deendayal Port Authority (DPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026MoU signed on 30 January 2026 for development of 150 Tonne Per Day e-methanol plant at Kandla Port in Gujarat. Investment exceeding Rs 1,200 crore. Project to create approximately 3,500 jobs and position Kandla as a key green fuel supply point. Creates logistics bridge connecting Brahmaputra waterways to Kandla Port via Bay of Bengal for Assam-made products.
• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2025MoU signed for expanding water transport and infrastructure in Assam. Focus on transporting petrochemical products, developing water metro systems, promoting tourism, and improving regional connectivity in Northeast India.
• CSIR-NEIST, JorhatsupportingTechnology or Integration · 20 September 2021MoU signed for Centre of Excellence for Petroleum Research, enabling research collaboration in petroleum and petrochemical sector.
• Engineers India Ltd (with Haldor Topsoe, Denmark technology)coreTechnology or Integration · 19 September 2014Letter of Intent signed for LEPCM (Licence, Engineering, Procurement & Construction Management) services for 500 TPD Methanol Plant. Technology supplied by Haldor Topsoe, Denmark - a world leader in methanol synthesis technology.
• Beijing Zehua Chemicals Engineering Co. Ltd (China)coreTechnology or Integration · 19 September 2014Letter of Intent signed for supply of acetic acid technology, Basic Process Design and Engineering including proprietary items, erection, supervision and commissioning for 200 TPD acetic acid plant.
• Biofriends Inc. (South Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for development of DiMethyl Ether (DME) Plant of 40,000 TPD capacity in India. South Korean company brings technology and expertise for green chemical production with scope for future expansion.
• Tata Consulting Engineers LtdsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngaged as Project Management Consultant (PMC) for implementation of the methanol-formalin expansion project.
• Bangladesh (Government/Importers)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBangladesh is an existing export market for APL's methanol and formalin products. Assistant High Commissioner visited APL facilities in June 2026 to discuss deepening industrial cooperation and exploring newer avenues of trade. First methanol consignment exported in July 2023.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF): Large Indian central PSU producing fertilizers and basic chemicals including methanol derivatives. Comparable to APL as a government-backed Indian petrochemical/chemical producer with overlapping downstream methanol-based product lines.
• National Fertilizers Limited (NFL): Indian PSU in the fertilizer and basic chemicals space with related downstream exposure. Comparable to APL as a state-owned Indian chemical producer with similar PSU governance and scale characteristics.
• Methanex Corporation: World's largest producer and marketer of methanol, setting global benchmark methanol prices. Comparable to APL as the dominant reference methanol producer whose posted prices drive the Indian import-parity benchmark APL competes against.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL): Indian OMC with petrochemical operations supplying bulk chemicals. Comparable to APL as an integrated Indian petrochemical player competing for downstream methanol and specialty chemical demand.
• SABIC: Global petrochemical major with methanol, formaldehyde and downstream C1 chemistry exposure. Comparable to APL as a large-scale methanol and formaldehyde producer that exports into Asia and competes with APL on global and Indian demand.
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL): Indian integrated oil and gas major with a petrochemical segment producing methanol, paraxylene, and downstream chemicals. Comparable to APL as an Indian petrochemical producer with overlapping methanol output and integrated feedstock control.
• OCI Global (Methanol arm): Global methanol and nitrogen products producer with significant international capacity. Comparable to APL as a large-scale global methanol competitor whose exports to India shape the import-parity pricing environment APL faces.

Regional players

• Privi Specialty Chemicals Limited: Indian manufacturer of aroma chemicals that consumes formaldehyde and methanol as key feedstocks. Comparable to APL as a downstream Indian consumer of the same C1 chemistry value chain, anchoring demand for Indian methanol and formalin.

Direct peers

• Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GSFC): Indian PSU producing methanol, melamine and downstream C1 chemicals. Comparable to APL as a fellow Indian state PSU with methanol as a core petrochemical platform, though operating from Gujarat rather than Northeast India.
• Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited: Indian producer of methanol and downstream chemicals including bulk and pharma-grade methanol, IPA and propane. Closely comparable to APL as one of the few domestic Indian methanol producers competing for the same downstream pharma and bulk chemical customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aplnamrup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Assam Petro-Chemicals