Mumbai: BASF India is considering acquiring businesses, mainly assets, pertaining to Fipronil, a crop-protection product, in India.

A notification on the Bombay Stock Exchange said the board of directors of the company will meet on 24 March 2003 to consider the acquisition of assets pertaining to the Fipronil business. The decision seems to be in line with the parent company BASF AG, which had announced that it is expected to acquire crop-protection product, Fipronil.

According to the company website, Dr Jürgen F Strube, chairman of the board of executive directors of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Ludwigshafen, Germany, had said recently: “We expect that we will soon be able to complete our purchase from Bayer of a package of crop-protection products, including the active ingredient Fipronil. American regulatory authorities have already approved the deal.”

Analysts are of the opinion that this could mean BASF India might make a major foray into Fipronil business in India. However, the decision is subject to approvals, the company said.