The official opening of its new production site in Visakhapatnam, India, in September 2025 marks a key milestone in RATH Group’s international growth strategy. The joint venture with RATH Avanee expands production capacity and further strengthens the global presence of the international refractory manufacturer.
In mid-September, after only 18 months of construction, RATH Group, together with its Indian joint venture partner RATH Avanee, officially opened the new production site in South-East India. The new facility highlights the consistent implementation of RATH Group’s global expansion plans. With eight production sites now operating across three continents – Europe, the United States and Asia – the company has further strengthened its independence from local market influences.
“With India’s state-of-the art refractory plant, we are strengthening our delivery capabilities with greater production capacity and shorter lead times – a clear advantage for our customers”, said Andreas Pfneiszl, speaker of the Executive Board of RATH Group, at the opening ceremony. “This facility enables us to serve the growth market of Asia – and our customers worldwide – faster, more efficiently and with greater resource efficiency, while upholding RATH’s established high quality standards.”
Annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes
The new plant is part of the joint venture RATH Avanee Private Limited. Production in Visakhapatnam began gradually in March 2025, with around 5,000 tonnes of fire-clay produced in a bogie hearth furnace and successfully placed on the Indian market. A further tunnel kiln was commissioned at the end of July 2025. With the commissioning of the additional furnace, total annual capacity will reach approximately 20,000 tonnes of refractory products.
Strategic location with state-of-the-art technology
The opening ceremony was also attended by the first customers to be supplied directly from the new Indian production site. The highlight of the inauguration was the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Andreas Pfneiszl, Dr. Raju, Chairman of RATH Avanee, and the joint venture’s first customers Siddarth Reddy, Sagar Cements Ltd, and Neeraj Sarda, Executive Director, Sarda Metals & Alloys Limited.
