The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa recently inaugurated Saint-Gobain Research India's (SGRI) new, state-of-the-art, cross-functional Research Centre in Chennai.

While SGRI's primary objective is to support Saint-Gobain's existing businesses in India and the region, it will also pave the way for developing new businesses for the region. SGRI will achieve this through developing, maintaining and nurturing transversal competencies, building partnerships with India's premier academic institutions and establishing key linkages with Saint-Gobain's global Research Centres.

With an investment of about Rs.200 crore, the new Research Centre is spread over 120,000 sq. ft. It will focus on developing innovative and sustainable solutions for Saint-Gobain's existing businesses (the major product lines include: abrasives, glass for architecture, glass for automotive, gypsum plasterboard and plasters, high performance ceramics and plastics etc) and will enable the Group to accelerate its growth in the region.

Unique to this Centre will be its focus on establishing multi-comfort in buildings as well as affordable housing and new competencies that will enable it to develop sustainable habitat solutions for hot and humid climates including the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Africa.

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