Rath has officially opened its refractory plant in Visakhapatnam, India.
The joint venture with Rath Avanee aims to expand production capacity and strengthen the global presence of the refractory manufacturer.
The company now has eight production sites operating across three continents – Europe, the United States, and Asia.
The Visakhapatnam site’s total annual capacity will reach approximately 20,000 tons of refractory products.
Andreas Pfneiszl, Speaker of the Rath Group’s Executive Board, said: “With India’s state-of-the art refractory plant, we are strengthening our delivery capabilities with greater production capacity and shorter lead times – a clear advantage for our customers.
“This facility enables us to serve the growth market of Asia – and our customers worldwide – faster, more efficiently and with greater resource efficiency, while upholding Rath’s established high-quality standards.”
After 18 months of construction, the Rath Group officially opened the Visakhapatnam site in mid-September.
Production began gradually in March 2025, with around 5,000 tons of fireclay produced in a bogie hearth furnace.
This was successfully placed on the Indian market.
A further tunnel kiln was commissioned at the end of July 2025.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the site (see above), which included a tour of the new facility.
In attendance was Mr Pfneiszl, Dr R V Raju, part of the Rath Avanee Management Team, and the joint venture’s first customers: Siddarth Reddy, Manager at Sagar Cements, and Neeraj Sarda, Executive Director of Sarda Metals and Alloys.
