Ashland presents latest innovations in coatings and construction at PaintIndia 2014

MUMBAI, India - Appearance, performance and sustainability are the key drivers of today's coatings and construction market. At PaintIndia 2014, to be held March 6-8 in Mumbai, India, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. (NYSH: ASH) will showcase a variety of cutting-edge products and technologies for this important market.

At the Ashland Specialty Ingredients booth Hall1-#C5, visitors will experience a wide range of solutions for high-performance, odor-free, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint and coatings. Products being highlighted at the show include: Natrosol™ hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), the most widely specified thickener for waterborne architectural coatings; Aquaflow™ nonionic synthetic associative thickeners (NSATs), which are APEO (alkyl phenol ethoxylates)-free liquid additives for the highest performance paint and coatings; Advantage™ and DrewPlus™ foam control agents; and Dextrol™ and Strodex™ specialty surfactants. In addition to the innovative coatings additives, Ashland also will present a series of the latest construction technologies, such as Aquatherm™ cellulose ethers for skim coat application.

"Demand is growing for products that combine high performance with an ability to meet strict regulatory requirements," said Santosh Satam, sales manager, South Asia, Coatings, Ashland Specialty Ingredients. "Waterborne coatings are the material of choice. Our complete additive solutions, which include rheology modifiers, specialty surfactants, foam control agents and biocides, help pave the way for eco-friendly coatings solutions."

Added Suman Bhowmik, sales manager, South Asia, Construction, Ashland Specialty Ingredients: "Our people and service truly differentiate us in this competitive market. We embrace every opportunity to work directly with our customers in the field. We believe this adds tremendous value and enables us to better understand their needs and deliver the solutions that can help them grow."

"We have a proven record of success within the global coatings and construction market, and we are committed to long-term growth with our customers," said Nandu Dhekne, vice president, Asia Pacific, Ashland Specialty Ingredients. "The combination of our fully equipped India labs, deep staff experience and technical expertise position Ashland as a preferred partner within the industry."

About Ashland Specialty Ingredients
Ashland Specialty Ingredients offers industry-leading products, technologies and resources for solving formulation and product performance challenges in key markets including personal care, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, coatings and energy. Using natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers derived from plant and seed extract, cellulose ethers and vinyl pyrrolidones, Ashland Specialty Ingredients offers comprehensive and innovative solutions for today's demanding consumer and industrial applications. Key customers include pharmaceutical companies; makers of personal care products, food and beverages, and cosmetics; manufacturers of paint, coatings and construction materials; and oilfield service companies.

About Ashland Inc.
In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Media relations
Helen Pei
+86 21 2402 4863
bpei@ashland.com