Ajay Sambrani, Managing Director, Tubacex Asia
How has Tubacex aligned its solutions to meet the evolving challenges of the oil and gas sector?
Tubacex India is addressing the oil and gas sector’s challenges through technical excellence, localised production, strategic customer engagement and a strong focus on energy transition. We see a growing demand for exotic high nickel grades for various applications in India. Tubacex is developing all these exotic grades in the country, and has started to offer them in the market. We are also exploring the localisation of tubes for the exploration and production of oil and gas, and we hope to have some direction soon in this regard.
How are digitalisation and automation being leveraged to enhance product traceability, quality assurance and value delivery across operations?
Tubacex as a group has a strong integrated enterprise resource planning system to support all our business processes, which are not only standardised but also customised for local adaptation. In addition, Tubacex is exploring how to adapt Industry 4.0 in our production plants to enable high-level automation and real-time information. Advanced robotics is used to automate repetitive tasks, increasing precision and reducing human error in our plant operations in India.
What opportunities and challenges does Tubacex see in supporting emerging energy solutions like hydrogen and carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS)?
Tubacex has been a pioneer in developing advanced solutions such as hydrogen and CCUS. We have successfully installed and commissioned CCUS projects in the US and Malaysia. We are quite active in developing solutions and customising to meet field requirements.
Tubacex has developed high-pressure tubular solutions for the storage and distribution of hydrogen. We have strong supply references in different parts of the world and are engaged with several customer bases in India.
Both these sectors have their own challenges in terms of economics and scale of operations. We believe the technology on both fronts is still evolving and will need a few years to have a mature solution.
Pandurangi Anand, Sales and Marketing Director, Tubacex India
How has the company’s experience been so far in deploying its solutions in the Indian oil and gas and related sectors?
Tubacex has built a strong and growing presence in India’s oil and gas sector, marked by successful collaborations with leading companies and a deep understanding of the industry’s evolving needs. Our high-performance tubular solutions, especially corrosion-resistant alloy tubes and pipes, have been widely adopted in both upstream and downstream applications, including heat exchangers, instrumentation and process piping.
Our manufacturing facility in Umbergaon, Gujarat, has further strengthened our local footprint, enabling faster response times, project-specific customisation and alignment with the government’s “Make in India” vision. Tubacex products meet all relevant global and Indian specifications, including ASTM, ASME, NACE and IBR. We are known for strict metallurgical control, dimensional precision and surface finish quality, which has made us a preferred supplier for high-integrity installations.
Beyond oil and gas, we are actively supporting India’s transition to cleaner energy, with our high pressure and high purity tubes already in use in green hydrogen and CCUS projects. Our approach in India remains long-term and strategic, with a focus on building enduring partnerships with engineering, procurement and construction players, end-users and technology licensors, offering not just products but also complete technical support throughout the project lifecycle.
What are some of the key material advancements and technological innovations being pursued to enhance sustainability and operational efficiency?
We are seeing increasing demand for advanced materials like duplex, super duplex, high nickel alloys, and proprietary grades such as Alloy 699 XA® and Uremium 29®, which offer superior corrosion resistance and longer service life, especially for hydrogen and methanol applications.
On the technology side, solutions like TUBACOAT® improve furnace efficiency and reduce downtime. Our end-to-end oil country tubular goods and localised manufacturing also support faster execution and align with the Make in India initiative. Sustainability-wise, we are committed to low-carbon practices, recycling and supporting CCUS and hydrogen projects in line with India’s net zero goals.
Apart from oil and gas, what are the other key sectors that Tubacex serves globally and in India? How is the company positioning itself to expand its presence across these segments?
India’s clean energy push is opening exciting opportunities in hydrogen and CCUS. In addition, the mobility sector, particularly the automotive and aerospace segments, is a key focus area. Our corrosion-resistant tubing is ideal for these applications, and our global research and development bring proven technologies to early-stage Indian projects. Localising our presence gives us a strategic edge.
However, the ecosystem is still nascent. Challenges include limited volumes, cost sensitivity and the lack of established standards. Despite this, we are investing early, confident that these sectors will scale rapidly, and Tubacex is ready to be a long-term partner supporting this growth.