BASF has inaugurated a new Global Diaper and Superabsorbents Performance Lab in Mumbai, India, strengthening its focus on customer-driven innovation and technical services for the global hygiene industry. The facility, officially opened on August 18, 2026, will provide technical and application support to superabsorbent polymer (SAP) customers worldwide.
The new laboratory operates under BASF’s Hygiene Solutions business and was established in less than a year at the company’s Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Mumbai. The campus serves as BASF’s second-largest research and development site in the Asia Pacific region and was established in 2017 under BASF Chemicals India Private Limited.
The facility expands BASF’s global technical capabilities alongside its established superabsorbents production network. Located in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for hygiene products, the Mumbai lab is designed to provide customers with faster technical assistance, application expertise and closer collaboration during product development.
The approximately 200-square-meter facility can conduct more than 30 testing methods covering SAP characteristics, diaper performance and benchmarking requirements. Its capabilities will support the development and evaluation of superabsorbent solutions used in baby diapers, adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene products.
BASF said the facility will enable closer interaction with customers and help accelerate the exchange of technical knowledge. By bringing application testing and customer collaboration closer together, the company expects to improve its ability to respond to evolving performance, sustainability and consumer requirements in the hygiene market.
Oliver Cullmann, Vice President, Global Marketing & Strategy C3 Value Chain at BASF, said the Mumbai laboratory reflects the company’s commitment to improving product performance, sustainability and customer value. He highlighted closer collaboration and faster knowledge sharing as important factors in accelerating innovation.
The new Mumbai facility is also expected to strengthen BASF’s global superabsorbents research network. It will work closely with the company’s existing Global Product Development Lab for superabsorbents in Ludwigshafen, Germany, creating greater connectivity between product development, technical services and customer applications.
The investment highlights BASF’s strategy of increasing customer proximity while supporting innovation in hygiene materials. With demand for high-performance and more sustainable hygiene products continuing to evolve, the laboratory could help BASF develop customized SAP solutions that improve absorbency, product efficiency and overall diaper performance.
Product Impact and Chemical Price Impact
The new Mumbai lab is likely to have a positive long-term impact on BASF’s superabsorbent polymer (SAP) business by accelerating product development, application testing and customer collaboration. Faster innovation could help BASF strengthen its position in baby diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene markets while supporting demand for higher-performance SAP grades. For chemical commodities tracked by ChemAnalyst, the immediate price impact should remain limited, as the facility is focused on research, testing and technical services rather than large-scale production. However, stronger SAP innovation and potential future product launches could gradually support demand for acrylic acid and related feedstocks, potentially providing modest upward price pressure if commercial volumes increase.
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