Hubergroup Chemicals announces the market introduction of its new high-performance additive brand Elara. The portfolio expansion marks another stage in the company's transformation from a supplier of raw materials for printing inks into a broad partner for the paint, coatings and adhesives industries. The official launch of Elara additives is scheduled for the Paint India 2026 trade fair in Mumbai, where the brand will be presented as a clearly structured product portfolio supporting formulators in addressing complex technical and regulatory challenges.
As requirements for performance, compliance with increasingly complex regulations and sustainability targets continue to grow, additives are becoming key, yet often invisible, components of modern formulations. Hubergroup Chemicals responds to this shift by introducing Elara as a range of additives that combines scientific precision with practical usability across different application areas. As Premal A. Desai, CEO of hubergroup, emphasizes: "With Elara, we are taking another decisive step in our strategic transformation. We are expanding our horizons beyond traditional applications and positioning hubergroup Chemicals as a strong, future-oriented partner for formulators worldwide. Elara stands for our ambition to shape chemistry responsibly while enabling our customers to innovate with confidence."
The role of additives in modern coating and ink systems
Additives determine dispersion, wetting, process stability and surface quality, and thus the overall performance and reliability of contemporary coating and ink systems. With the introduction of Elara, the company consolidates its expertise in polymer and surface chemistry into an organized, application-driven additive platform.
The name Elara, inspired by one of Jupiter's moons, is intended to symbolize stability, precision and orientation within complex formulation systems. Each product in this brand has been developed for a clearly defined function to deliver maximum impact both as a single component and as part of a balanced formulation.
Structure of the Elara portfolio and key product lines
Under the claim "Shaping chemistry. Expanding horizons.", the Elara brand comprises high-performance dispersing and wetting additives tailored to the demands of modern paint, coating and printing ink formulations. The initial portfolio consists of three main product lines:
- Elara Disperion 400 are non-aqueous dispersing agents for organic and inorganic pigments, carbon blacks, extenders and matting agents. They are designed for high pigment loading, intensive color strength and process stability in solvent-based, solvent-free and UV/EB systems.
- Elara Disperion 500 are aqueous dispersing agents that ensure high color consistency, reproducible quality and broad compatibility with different binders. This line is intended for formulation architectures that are free of volatile organic compounds and biocides in coatings and printing inks.
- Elara Wetora 300 comprises versatile wetting agents for water-based, solvent-based, solvent-free and UV-curable systems. These products improve substrate wetting, support uniform pigment incorporation and help reduce surface defects even on demanding substrates.
As Franziska Trapp, Technical Marketing Manager Coatings at hubergroup Chemicals, points out: "Elara represents a new level of system understanding. Each additive line is developed with the formulator's reality in mind, balancing technical performance, regulatory compliance and processing efficiency."
hubergroup Chemicals has world-class production facilities in Vapi and Daman, India
Chemistry, responsibility and regulatory compliance
The Elara range reflects hubergroup Chemicals' expertise in polymer and surface chemistry. Many product grades within this brand are solvent-free or feature reduced levels of volatile organic compounds, which aligns with global sustainability goals. At the same time, the portfolio is designed for broad compatibility with solvent-based, water-based and UV-curable systems to provide formulators with design flexibility and security of supply.
The clearly defined functions of individual additives and their alignment with modern formulation requirements are intended to facilitate compliance with the complex regulations in the coatings, paints and adhesives sectors. The structured portfolio is designed to enable quick assignment of a product to a specific formulation challenge, such as dispersion stability, rheology control or surface quality.
A development platform with a roadmap for further expansion
From the outset, Elara has been conceived as a scalable additive system. Hubergroup Chemicals has prepared a development roadmap for this brand, which includes the future introduction of defoamers, humectants and rheology modifiers. The goal is to build an additive platform with a forward-looking character that can address both current and emerging industry needs.
The Elara portfolio is planned to be available globally from March 2026. The company states that its dedicated experts will support customers in additive selection and formulation optimization to ensure stable implementation in various application areas, from paints and coatings to printing inks and adhesives.
Elara is hubergroup Chemicals' new brand for high-performance additives.
