PCBL Chemical Limited, India’s largest carbon black maker, drives sustainable growth with ecozen® and specialty blacks for EVs, plastics, and coatings.
PCBL Chemical Limited, part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, is India’s largest carbon black manufacturer, driving sustainable growth with innovations like ecozen®, a circular carbon black solution from recycled materials. The company is also investing in advanced R&D for specialty blacks used in EVs, plastics, and coatings. ChemAnalyst spoke with Tarun Kumar Maity about PCBL’s sustainability initiatives, market growth, and technological innovations in carbon black.
Over the past few years, how have you seen the global carbon black market evolve, especially in relation to the automotive sector?
Tarun Maity: Carbon black is primarily consumed in tires, which typically contain 25-30% carbon black. The industry categorizes carbon black based on its application: those used in rubber are referred to as rubber or ASTM blacks, while carbon blacks used in plastics, inks, paints, adhesives, and batteries are known as specialty blacks.
In recent years, ASTM blacks have shown steady performance in sectors linked to automotive production. Meanwhile, specialty blacks have experienced significant growth, driven by demand from the automotive, construction, and electronics industries.
With the growing push toward sustainability, how is PCBL addressing the demand for greener, more sustainable carbon black solutions?
Tarun Maity: Recently, PCBL launched ecozen®as a circular solution for a sustainable future, using raw materials derived from recycling and ecozen®offers an innovative approach to reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability in the automotive industry.
How has the global supply chain volatility in recent years impacted the carbon black industry, and what lessons were learned?
Tarun Maity: We have noticed significant volatility in the carbon black supply chain in recent years. Feedstock shortages and price swings have been a major factor, as carbon black is heavily dependent on petroleum-derived raw materials; disruptions in crude oil markets, refinery operations, or regulatory changes have made costs more volatile and supply less predictable. In addition, logistics and shipping cost increases—driven by higher freight rates, shipping delays, port congestions, and trade route disruptions—have extended lead times and raised transportation costs, making carbon black more expensive and less reliably delivered, with recent impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Red Sea situation. Geopolitical risks and tariffs, including conflicts, export restrictions, sanctions such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and recent US tariffs, have further disrupted traditional sourcing patterns and created uncertainty in global supply. A key lesson learned is that long lead times are likely to become the norm, and just-in-time models may be riskier under conditions of geopolitical and logistics stress.
What technological innovations in carbon black production or application are shaping the future of automotive materials?
Tarun Maity: Carbon black is integral in manufacturing conductive polymers and components for EV batteries. I expect a lot of innovation toward high-purity carbon black for EVs and conductive polymers. Additionally, many innovations will occur in the carbon black manufacturing process, as well as in recovered carbon black (rCB) and carbon black from recovered oil to reduce GHG emissions.
Which global regions are currently driving the most growth in carbon black consumption, and where do you see untapped potential?
Tarun Maity: Asia-Pacific accounts for about 45% of global carbon black consumption and is driving most of the growth. Africa and Latin America represent two regions with significant untapped potential.
What is your outlook for the global carbon black and automotive market over the next 5–10 years?
Tarun Maity: The global carbon black market is projected to expand at a CAGR of approximately 3-4% over the next 5-6 years. Demand for specialty carbon blacks used in high-performance applications, electric vehicles, plastics, and coatings is expected to grow at a faster pace than standard grades. Additionally, rCB and carbon black derived from recovered oil are likely to experience strong growth, driven by increasing sustainability pressures.
How critical is R&D investment for PCBL in staying competitive in the evolving automotive and carbon black ecosystem?
Tarun Maity: Innovation is a key pillar of our sustainable growth, and we are continuously investing in R&D and technology capabilities. At our three R&D centres, we are developing breakthrough, functional, process-proven, and sustainable technologies to ensure high-performance products. Additionally, we are building new capabilities in Acetylene Black and Super Conductive Black to remain competitive in the evolving automotive and carbon black ecosystem.
What technological innovations in the last decade have had the most profound impact on the efficiency, quality, and sustainability of carbon black production for automotive applications?
Tarun Maity: Over the last decade, several technological innovations have significantly impacted the efficiency, quality, and sustainability of carbon black production for automotive applications. One notable advancement is the recovery of oil from end-of-life tires via pyrolysis, which has added a new dimension to sustainability and circularity in the industry. Another key innovation is surface functionalization, where post-treatment of high surface area carbon black has redefined the blackness, particularly for automotive coatings. Additionally, post-milling technology has improved the overall quality of carbon black, enhancing its performance and consistency for automotive uses.
Looking ahead, what do you believe is the single biggest opportunity and the single biggest challenge for the carbon black and automotive industry over the next 15-20 years?
Tarun Maity: The single biggest opportunity I see is producing carbon black from recovered oil as an alternative to traditional crude oil fractions. Conversely, the major challenges lie in particulate emissions and high CO2 intensity. Traditional furnace carbon black production is an energy- and carbon-intensive process, and as the push toward net-zero intensifies, conventional methods will face significant challenges.
Since China has been dominating the global EV market. What do you think, can it affect India in Future like it affected European Automotive sector. And how would it affect the demand of Carbon Black?
Tarun Maity: At the moment, China is dominating the race, but India is rapidly developing its battery and EV ecosystem. Therefore, I don’t believe it will have a significant long-term impact on India. Overall, carbon black demand is expected to remain strong, alongside continued innovation. While there may be occasional challenges, we will address them through innovative solutions.
ChemAnalyst Insights on Carbon Black
The Asian Carbon Black market faced consistent price pressure through the second quarter of 2025, ending the period lower due to soft overseas buying and domestic overcapacity. In July 2025, spot prices remained under pressure as Chinese exports slowed, affected by tariffs and reduced restocking interest from Western markets. Domestic demand weakened further amid muted tyre production during the off-season.
Looking ahead, Southeast Asia and the broader Asia region may experience a modest recovery, while China’s exports are likely to stay limited by trade tensions and high inland inventory. Spot price pressure was worsened by logistics slowdowns at Qingdao Port, restricting warehouse throughput and delaying shipments across Asia and to Latin America.
Meanwhile, feedstock costs such as coal tar pitch and RFO declined, squeezing producer margins and prompting some smaller players to cut production. Overall, Asian Carbon Black pricing is expected to remain soft in the near term, with occasional upticks if exports to India, Southeast Asia, or wider Asia increase.
