DUBLIN, Ohio – Ashland India Private Limited (AIPL), a subsidiary of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has announced the opening of a Casting Design Services Center in Pune, India, which includes computer-aided design and engineering analysis. Various simulations of sand core modeling, metal flow and solidification processes are now available to help Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as Indian foundries meet the growing challenges of achieving optimized designs and processes.

“We’re offering access to our proven global capabilities to design complex sand core packages. The growth in production and design of engine blocks and heads in India is phenomenal, and we are now able to offer our services to the OEMs as well as foundries here as they manufacture these components,” said Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Inc., and managing director, AIPL. “We are also fortunate to have Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan Arunachalam as our recently-named casting design specialist.”

Ashland India Private Limited is headquartered in Mumbai and focuses on Ashland Performance Materials businesses. To contact Ashland’s Casting Design Services Center, call the Pune offices at +91 (0) 20 6400 3895 or send an e-mail to alakshminarayanan@ashland.com. Ashland has a long history in India by participating in two Indian joint ventures: Chembond Ashland Water Technologies Ltd., and Valvoline Cummins Ltd.

Ashland Performance Materials is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of specialty chemicals and customized services to the building and construction, packaging and converting, transportation, marine and metal casting industries. It is a technology leader in metal casting consumables and design services; unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins and gelcoats; and high-performance adhesives and specialty resins.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provides specialty chemical products, services and solutions for many of the world’s most essential needs and industries. Serving customers in more than 100 countries, it operates through five commercial units: Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, Ashland Hercules Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials, Ashland Consumer Markets (Valvoline) and Ashland Distribution. To learn more about Ashland, visit www.ashland.com.