Shell Bitumen India

Shell Bitumen in India

The first Shell bitumen plant in India was launched in December 2006 at Uluberia, near Kolkata in West Bengal. The plant is a modified bitumen and emulsion production plant that produce a range of special application bituminous products such as different grades of Bitumen emulsions, Polymer Modified Bitumen and Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen. The plant has a total installed capacity of 50,000 metric tones per annum which is expandable. This plant at Uluberia is also equipped to manufacture special tailor made bitumen products to international standards as per special climatic and road conditions and applications.

Bitumen Plant at Savli, Gujarat

Additionally Shell Bitumen in India also supplies ready to use instant road repair premix under brand name Shell Shelmac PR. This allows road to be opened to traffic within 10-15 minutes and imparts good strength to repaired area. The same is being successfully supplied through a network of franchisees in different parts of the country for the last five years and has been very well accepted by all contractors, road maintenance agencies and consultants in the country.   

Looking at high acceptance and appreciation of Shell’s products and services from Uluberia plant and to service the market needs in northern and western part of the country Shell Bitumen has commissioned a similar Modified Bitumen and Emulsion Plant at Savli, near Vadodara in the state of Gujarat. This plant will also produce similar Bitumen Speciality products such as varied range of Bitumen Emulsions, High Performance Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB), Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen (CRMB) and other special application bitumenous products.

We have also started a supply of conventional grades of Bitumen such as Bitumen 60/70 (VG-30) and Bitumen 80/100 (VG-10). In order to meet the quality requirements of Asphalt Mix, we will soon be launching Higher Performance grades of Conventional Bitumen.  We are here to partner the growth of infrastructure in India in the long term.    

Quality Product

The real differentiation for a customer buying product from Shell Bitumen rests in basic product knowledge, understanding of its complete chemistry, Quality Control and the technology around it alongwith its performance on the ground, backed by global Shell bitumen expertise.  Shell is more of a solution provider, supplying tailor-made, fit-for-application and treatment of road products based on customer needs. Shell typically works with both the contractor, design and supervision consultant and the owner of airport runways/ major highways and even with rural roads to provide the most suitable and best product suited to their application, product needs and local conditions.

Recent successes In Delhi on providing a thin layer eco-friendly system (Micro-surfacing using Cold Bitumen Emulsions) to re-surface city roads, in The Philippines (Shell provided a system for turning a rural unbounded road into a fit-for-purpose paved road) and China bear testimony to the Shell ability to raise overall quality / technology of the market which is critical to road infrastructure development in India.

Business Opportunities for Shell Bitumen in India

India is building a huge network of national highways, state highways and rural roads (vast network of 3.3 million Kms, second only to USA) and would need world class product quality in order to minimize the maintenance cost of the roads over their life cycle. There is a huge central funding, states funding, external aid from WB / ADB and Private investments to build this road network. Shell can significantly contribute to enhance longevity of road surface while simultaneously lowering maintenance cost through the application of technology based solutions during pavement construction and its preventive and routine maintenance . 

Whereas earlier roads were built with the primary aim of moving passenger traffic only, roads today need to take care of extensive movement of goods through heavy load axles on the road due to explosive economic growth.  Thus the road designs need to be suitably upgraded to take care of present load and traffic intensity conditions on the roads.

Another typical factor for India is the wide climatic variations over geographies and over different periods.  Also, certain parts of the country are subjected to heavy rainfall or heavy snowfall. Further, there is a massive legacy road network that has weak base and cannot be upgraded overnight but need to be maintained using maintenance applications. Thus serving India’s legacy road infrastructure as well as paving modern Highways and Airports of tomorrow needs application of High end products and technologies, which Shell is capable to provide.

Shell has entered the India market in bitumen with twin objectives: to leverage over 80 years of experience across the world in building safe, high quality roads to the benefit of the country and thereby to build a long standing profitable bitumen business in India. The Shell Bitumen plants at Uluberia (East India) and Savli (West India) will bring to India, best-in-class pavement solutions for highways, roads and airport runways as well as some other special applications.

Shell Bitumen Products for different applications

Shell Bitumen in India supplies different grades of Bitumen Emulsions, Modified Bitumen and ready to use cold-mix for different road applications. The table below provides different product grades and its applications on Indian roads:-

Contact Details

For more information please contact...  

Shell India Markets Private Limited -

Specialities Division

9th Floor, Building 9A

DLF Cyber City, DLF Phase III

Gurgaon - 122 002

Tel : +91 124 477 1500

Fax : +91 124 477 1600