We are delighted to welcome you and inspired by your commitment, that’s present here today – commitment to explore the value proposition of Green Chemistry for your organization, to recognize the potential of Green Chemistry to offer the twin benefits of economic competitiveness & environmental preservation, and to initiate the process of implementation of Green Chemistry within your organization.

We pledge to serve this commitment of yours and welcome that spirit which is open and willing to explore the industrialization of green chemistry and engineering practices. The collective commitment of all of you, present here, is like the nucleus which will forward this field and drive the implementation and industrialization of green chemistry and engineering in the Industry.

Purpose & Commitment of IGCW: The Industrial Green Chemistry World (IGCW) is a platform created to facilitate implementation and commercialization of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering based products and technologies in the chemical industry.

IGCW2011 is an ecosystem to connect various worlds of the chemistry community – industry, academia, research institutes, government & regulatory bodies, associations, NGOs, students and media. An ecosystem to bring all these stakeholders together and to collectively explore new concepts, engage-in conversations, exchange ideas and collaborate to accelerate the industrialization of green chemistry and engineering, in a way, that it becomes the only way of doing chemistry.

Dimensions of IGCW & its reality: We take this opportunity to share with you some realities about various dimensions of IGCW:

IGCW-Symposium brings together 23 global experts from industry, academia, government bodies and NGOs, presenting on strategic issues, industrial case-studies, innovations and emerging trends. IGCW-Symposium is host to 300+ chemical companies of diverse scales, from over 3 continents and 10 Countries. It will be attended by over 1200 chief representatives from the functional domains of management, R&D, plant & operations, over three days.

IGCW-Expo is the world’s first showcase exclusively of green chemistry and engineering based initiatives, technologies, services, products and solutions. Over 50 organizations will showcase their innovations to over 4000+ visitors from the Chemical Industry at IGCW-Expo.

IGCW Awards is an acknowledgement of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions through implementation & commercialization of Green Chemistry and engineering.  We are delighted to declare that IGCW-2011 has received 41 case studies for IGCW Awards, compared to 21 case-studies received in 2009. This is an indicator not only of the recognition of the unsustainability of the present course of manufacturing, but also  that there are an increasing number of committed stakeholders pro-actively engaged in addressing the sustainability needs of the chemical industry.

180° Seminar Series are 3 hr technical sessions organized to create deeper technical understanding of the delegates on specific areas like Green Solvents, Green Catalysts, Green Engineering, Green Processes, etc.

Students Conference & Teachers Workshop being conducted after IGCW is an expression to expand awareness about Green Chemistry in the academia inside of our commitment to have our future generation of chemists & chemical engineers “Green Conscious”.

Opportunities at IGCW:  IGCW is a phenomenal opportunity for all of us to “intervene” in to our current practices, the way we do our chemistry and to question our existing paradigms to address chemical industry’s environmental challenges. It’s an opportunity to create new paradigms – by shifting, from resource-intensive approach to profit-centric model, from regulation-driven pollution-control practices to e-factor driven pollution prevention strategies, and from effluent treatment to recycle streams at the source.

IGCW is a platform to connect the providers of these possibilities to its industry-driven seekers. It is a collective opportunity to create a next generation DNA for the chemical industry that will drive the implementation and industrialization of green chemistry and engineering.

Participation at IGCW:  With this we invite you to participate in IGCW-2011 and to view this event as an opportunity, to make the most of the presence of global experts by interacting with them and exchanging ideas. Network, visit the exhibition and participate in specific 180o Seminar of your interest.

Open up this opportunity to people in your network, personally invite them to visit the exhibition halls, to explore the subject specific seminars and utilize this platform for generating a ‘green’ consciousness amongst our Industry peers and colleagues.

We invite you to participate from the receiving and sharing context, by extending your interactions with the young generation and senior alike, and take tremendous value from the event, both from the known and unknown. An event with such a grand purpose gives us an opportunity to create relationships which are grounded in purpose, and may transform brief interactions into long-term relationships to fulfill mutual commitments in this direction that will ultimately, I dare say, benefit all of humanity and, once and for all, demonstrate that Green Chemistry can improve competitiveness and profitability.

For, IGCW Team,
Nitesh

1. Being a part of IGCW will ensure expanded visibility to your niche expertise to over 4000 focused visitors who are expected to be a part of this convention. These visitors will not only be from industry but also from related non-industry sectors.

2. There will be a choice of more than 60 Green Exhibitors through whom you can partner and synergize the implementation of Green Chemistry.

3. IGCW is the perfect platform to position green chemistry for engineering focus, services, products, technologies and solutions to top decision makers and global leaders in the field of green chemistry.

4. Not only in India, but globally it will prove to be the most tangible and direct visibility with a chance to convey your vision and values on Industrial Green Chemistry and Sustainability.

5. As a part of this movement, you will not only gain respect for your organization in the world of your vendors but also ensure your customers for commitment towards overall sustainability.

With the IGCW Symposium, Expo, Awards and Seminars, you’ll be a part of the world’s best scientific researchers, industry leaders and colleagues. Mark your calendar – 4th, 5th, and 6th December, 2011 at the InterContinental The Lalit, Mumbai, INDIA.

We’ll see you there!

Who doesn’t want to reduce costs and waste! And this becomes especially significant when it comes to the chemical industry or indeed industries that use chemicals in its processes. Conventionally, the industry has used petroleum-derived feed-stocks. Compared to these non-renewable materials, the newer “green” materials offer greenhouse gas emissions along with lesser toxicity. These renewable feed-stocks are produced through biological processes or thermal and chemical processes applied to cellulosic materials, such as wood, agricultural waste, or non-food plants like switchgrass — all of which are less costly than the purchase of petroleum products. Of course, the alarming rise in the cost of petrol and derived products has also accelerated the growth of this alternative industry.

Analysts say that the estimated worldwide value of the chemical industry is a staggering $4 trillion. With that large a value, comes a large saving as well. A small drop in that high valued ocean can result in over $40 billion in cost savings! And that does not even include liabilities from having non eco-friendly processes and adverse environmental and social impacts. It’s all about reducing our carbon footprint while increasing the bottom line!

This is exactly the reason why Green Chemistry is no more a thing of the future, but a growing part of industry today. In fact, Cleantech market intelligence firm has forecasted that the total saving through green chemistry will amount to $65.5 billion by 2020. That is just the savings. The Green Chemistry industry will be a market opportunity that will grow from $2.8 billion in 2011 to $98.5 billion by 2020.

This is something nobody should ignore anymore.

1. The IGCW symposium will give you an opportunity to meet over 400 senior representatives from Pharmaceuticals, Agrochemicals, Dyes & Pigments, Fine & Specialty Chemical companies of diverse scales – MNCs, Large, SMEs and Start-ups, both local and international.

2. You will have a chance to personally connect and interact with the leaders, founders & fathers of green chemistry & engineering. Dr. Paul Anastas, Dr. John Warner, Dr. James Clark, Dr. Roger Sheldon will be in attendance amongst others.

3. You get an opportunity to learn from the likes of Pfizer, GSK, Dow Chemicals, L’Oreal, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories’ and many more about that impact of sustainability.

4. There will be over 70 exhibitors with diverse green chemistry and engineering initiatives, services, products, technologies and solutions, showcasing to over 4000 visitors across 3 days.

5. You will have access to the IGCW ecosystem to share your concerns, questions, and experiences to forward emerging need of triple bottom line benefits impacting – Economics, Environment and Everybody.

6. It is a chance to network with experts from the world of invention and innovation for exploring collaborative partnerships in the field of industrial green chemistry & engineering.

7. Come along to explore the long-term strategy for prevention rather than protection to be competitive in the emerging, regulations driven, global scenario.

8. IGCW is a timely opportunity to brand and position your organization’s commitment and contribution in the sustainability direction.

9. It is a chance to recognize national and international trends that are driving markets, funding, regulations, policies and partnerships within the ‘green’ context.

10. You can assess the impact of your organization’s environmental footprint to your business and the communities.

11. Identify barriers in the implementation of industrial green chemistry and engineering and address those barriers by partnering with various stakeholders.

12. It is your chance to maximize your business presence in Mumbai, India by participating in IGCW-2011 and CPhI India 2011 in the same week.

It is an event you simply cannot afford to miss. It is the 12 steps to green freedom…

Even the companies want to do their bit to save the environment by trying new ideas, new concepts and innovations related to environmental domains. There may be challenges in the form of space constraints in their existing set-up, competition from Chinese manufacturers, customers demanding “greener products & processes” and increasingly tightening environmental discharge norms. But there is a solution -  “Green Chemistry”.

Science has the potential to address all these challenges together by providing various products and services, that can directly or indirectly help the industry to expand, and simultaneously reduce its environmental footprint. It is a revolution that includes everyone – from start-ups to large companies, research institutes, academic institutes and consultants, leading the charge. They may be based in India as well as across US & Europe. But the aim is to make people aware about green chemistry, green engineering & sustainability. And this is where we come back to India and its huge potential market for such products.

The IGCW 2011 – Expo is one such extraordinary opportunity for such companies offering Green Chemistry & Green Engineering based products and services, to reach out to the senior decision makers of over 300 pharmacy & fine chemical companies, and explore new business opportunities. It is an opportunity to reach out to a global audience, with world class solutions.

This month, Mr. Nitesh Mehta, Convener of IGCW 2011 and Founder Director of Newreka, will be attending the ‘Pharma ChemOutsourcing‘ and ‘Sustainable Chemistry Summit‘. We look forward to meeting you at these events to share information about Newreka’s services and the Industrial Green Chemistry World 2011. To meet Mr. Mehta at these events, you can contact him at nitesh.mehta@newreka.co.in. We request you to suggest a specific time slot for you and your team to meet us.

Green Chemistry & Engineering is a progressive step taken to help save our planet from harmful chemicals. Slowly and steadily Green Chemistry & Engineering practices are being adopted and implemented in the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industry processes around the world. This will not only prove beneficial for the environment but also a profitable investment. Events like CPHI-China, Chemspec-Europe and the 15th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference are few such events that give a serious thought about the future. With the world talking green, these three events got them talking about IGCW-2011 as well!

The CphI in China alone hosts over 1600 exhibitors with over a lakh of people visiting the event. Not only did that substantially increase visibility, but was a milestone, with IGCW inviting Chinese companies to explore green chemistry, engineering business propositions and global trends. This has interested several Chinese companies that are now keen to showcase their green chemistry and engineering based technologies at the IGCW –Expo.

At Chemspec, Europe, IGCW managed to interest 15 European companies, who now want to showcase their green chemistry and engineering based technologies & services. Across the Atlantic, at the GCandE Conference at Washington DC, IGCW used one of the best and oldest platform to spread the word. There are now ongoing partnership discussions with various leading bodies including US EPA, European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG), Chemical Industries Association (UK), Scottish Development International and Green Product Design Network.

Green Chemistry has inspired a revolution. At the GCandE Conference, keynote presentations by global leaders such as  Prof. Paul Anastas, Prof. Martyn Poliakoff, Founder of Biomimicry Guild, Ms. Janine Benyus  and the Nobel Laureate Prof. Ei-ichi Negishi has inspired us to surge forward with renewed vigor. The father of Green Chemistry, Paul Anastas, called for the green chemistry version of ‘man on the moon’ program. A global opportunity for worldwide initiatives to come together and forward green chemistry as a global expression. Join us in the endeavor.

But in a tough competitive world, only the fittest survive. We need options that make us better than the best. This is where Chemical Weekly and Newreka Green Synth Technologies come in. The ‘Green Chemistry: Options for the Indian Fine Chemicals Industry’ seminar, organized by Chemical Weekly and Newreka Green Synth Technologies, was a free-to-attend conference held on April 14 at the Chemspec India 2011. Industrial experts demonstrated through presentations on how the Indian fine chemicals industry can leverage their yield growth and process improvement by incorporating principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering to reduce its environmental footprint, while ensuring cost-competitive manufacturing.

Following Speakers provided presentations at the Green Chemistry Conference:

Mr. Nitesh Mehta, Director, Newreka Green Synth Technologies P. Ltd., on Recycling at source – An effective alternative to end-of-the-pipe treatment.

Dr. M.G. Palekar, President-Pharmaceuticals & Intermediates, Atul Ltd. discussed key Initiatives in Sustainable Development.

‘Green’ processes for fine chemicals: Case Study by Prashant Barve, Head, Process Development & Engineering, National Chemical Laboratory

Simple Innovations and Novel Treatment Technology for Improved Effluent Quality – Case Studies by Sandip Zaveri, Director, CS Specialties Pvt. Ltd. was one of the highlights of the seminar.

This year marks the 6th anniversary of Chemspec India, and it will be an important meeting ground for some of the world’s largest suppliers of fine and specialty chemicals and associated products and services. It is the perfect opportunity to connect with not only future business associates, but also to make your business future proof!

InformEx is one of the first Industrial conventions offering platform to ‘green’ initiatives in the Chemical Industry. Over 17 chemical companies are showcasing their ‘green’ technologies, products and services. Newreka is one of the exhibitors at the Green Pavilion. The Green Pavilion will bring together companies with an innovative eye for green chemistry and process technologies that have sustainability applications for the specialty chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

On 9th of February Newreka presents the ‘Breakfast Briefing’ To share with the visitors about the ‘Recycle at Source’ solutions, which are economical and environmentally competitive. The pharmaceutical and allied companies will be especially focused upon, as they have very high E-factor.

Newreka’s effort to promote a preventive approach for revisiting the concept of ‘waste’, as opposed to a remedial approach, doesn’t end here! The next step will be the IGCW Industrial Exhibition 2011. This will be one-of-a-kind of an industrial event, where stakeholders of the chemical industry will come together to explore the possibilities of industrializing green chemistry & green engineering technologies for their products, services & streams. It is a global platform initiated by the Green ChemisTree Foundation, a philanthropic expression founded by Newreka Green Synth Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for promoting Green Chemistry and Engineering (GC&E) practices. It is a perfect platform for chemical companies to showcase their products & processes, inspire and be insapired to go green with their processes.

Please visit www.IndustrialGreenChem.com to confirm your participation!

So, this group from a corporate firm was my ‘target’ for the day. Here they were, stuffed in the bus for a CSR Sunday with the grumpiest of faces, and here I was trying my best to tell them what wonders awaited them at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai. This odd group of 9 young professionals belonged to an architectural firm who were sent to the jungles to learn how nature works and so that they could imbibe natural designs into their concrete creations. That is the least they owed to society…according to their boss.

But as I had foreseen, the frowns began to soften as the bus entered the gates and by the time we got off the vehicle, I could even detect some faint smiles. A few yards into the trail and I had their complete attention. I explained to them, at length, the inspiring concept of Bio-mimickry. I started out with pointing to them the variety of foliage that the rains had brought forth, painting the forest with a palette full of different green shades. There were new leaves and creepers all over, fungus and mushrooms sprouting on all that was decaying, lichen patches on rocks & barks, barks covered with shimmering moss, stooping ferns all along the slopes, trickling water, animated streams, & all very gripping.

All these seemed to cash on the pouring rains and make most of the season. To related it all from Bio-mimicry’s perspective: This seasonal expression, demonstrates nature as an opportunistic. A typical set-up where challenge is flipped into an opportunity & a seasoned occasion (in this case- rain) is fully resourced as an opportunity.

In a tropical deciduous forest, the vegetation is in constant endeavor towards conserving water, their leaves shed when the season is hot and dry. The availability of sunlight & water allows all species in the jungle floor to grow densely. At a time when they can harvest water, their broad and leathery, leaves have drip tips, the monsoon sprouts retain water and provide nutrients post their life-span and infinite microbes speeds up the degradation process which requires water & anaerobic conditions to disintegrate. The tree trunks are huge, their roots grow deep and wide to obtain as much water and
nutrients as possible. The trees tend to be shorter while their canopies are smaller. All these mechanisms together contribute in forwarding the larger purpose of re-generation.

I told them that, like this forest’s ecosystem, they could also take on architectural challenges and bring about structures that would benefit the whole community. The shine in their eyes was evidence of the idea bulbs lighting up inside their heads. As they excitedly started discussing Bio-mimicry design ideas amongst themselves, I bade a quiet goodbye, and faded into the green background waiting to convert the next bunch of non – enthusiasts.

At our organisation, we’re always trying to find ways of interesting the youth towards the topic of Green Chemistry. Only if the youth of a nation understand our mission, will it be successful. But, a little complicated that the subject is, getting youngsters enthused proves a tad tough So we got talking to some college students one of these days about our ideologies. These were third year BSc students from a Mumbai college. Admittedly, the session got a little too technical for them and I could see some of the students stifling yawns. One even got to the extent of commenting out loud, “What a waste!”

“Yes”, I said and startled all. They expected a chastisement of sorts but I’d found my turning point there. “It is a waste. If you take no message back, the session will have gone waste. All the precious resources – your time, my effort – everything wasted. It will have polluted our moods in the process and your HOD’s disappointment would be the byproduct. The other alternative is for us to make this session fruitful and negate waste, get a zero e-factor!”

My point had hit home. The whole of the last hour’s presentations fell into perspective. Then questions flew thick and fast from students.

“What exactly is e-waste?” one asked.
I flipped back a few slides and explained. “E-factor is the amount of waste generated per kilogram of final product or the measure of environmental impact of the waste in your production processes.”
“But how is it of any concern to us?” another shot back.
“It concerns you in every living moment you spend on this planet. Every thing you use in the course of your modern life has repercussions on the environment, which has an immediate bearing on your life. The more you pollute, the more polluted things nature will give you. For every bit of plastic waste you generate, you’ll get one toxic fruit, vegetable or meat in the bargain. Now if that doesn’t alarm you, I don’t know what else will.”

“But what is the solution?” questioned one of the back benchers.
“Green chemistry! Just so we don’t have to deal with wastes and break out heads over trying to treat and recycle it, we should stop generating waste.”

“Is that possible?” the back-bencher asked, now riveted.
“Yes. That’s exactly what green chemistry is all about. We formulate solutions in a way that there are little or no by-products. And if there are by-products, we ensure, they are completely bio-degradable. Simply put, we remove the root of the problem!”

I could hear murmurs of approval from the class. I could see realisation in their eyes. And I knew, the session had not gone ‘waste’. Green Chemistry was working here too!

Have you ever faced such an ‘environmental moment of truth’? Tell me about it!