India: B2B Regionalization Project for Specialty Chemicals Company

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Kuraray, a worldwide operating Japanese manufacturer of specialty plastics, commissioned svaerm for a digital expansion into the Indian market for TPEs and elastomers. The goal: an online strategy that boosts visibility, strengthens trust and generates new B2B contacts.

Kuraray Elastomer expands digitally to India.

1. Concept phase

1.1 Strategic questions

Our approach started with the central questions of successful internationalization:

  • What specific digital solutions does a B2B chemical supplier need for India?
  • Is English enough or does content need to be translated into regional languages?
  • What content and formats establish a connection, build trust and create relevance on site?
  • How can Kuraray stand up to the Indian competition online?

1.2 Research

We found the answers through:

  • Discussions with Indian SEO and marketing experts
  • Analysis of competition on Google India
  • Studies on language, travel and media use

The result: a list of clearly prioritized measures – tailor-made for a country that thinks in digital format but feels in local terms.

Images for the new website region are prepared using Indian models, taking care not to distort the original visual message.

1.3 List of measures

1. New website region
We launch elastomer.kuraray.com/in/ as the underlying technical base.

2. hreflang en-IN
English-language content is considered state-of-the-art for India in a business context. We confirmed this fact not only through local SEO and marketing experts, but also by an analysis of the competition: Even high-profile B2C platforms such as Amazon India are unavailable in Hindi.

3. Content and image regionalization
India is not a society of immigrants: 99.6% of the Indian population are natives and only 0.4% are immigrants (UN, 2019). 99% of Indian travel is domestic and only 1% is international (Booking.com & McKinsey, 2023).


Therefore we used ethnically appropriate models and imagery that allowed us to better address the target group – using of stock photo databases, image editing or generative AI. Inclusive content in the sense of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is not used in the Indian website region.

Kuraray sells plastic additives that improve the properties of food packaging, among others.

The Kuraray Elastomer Blog will focus on topics such as urbanization, water management and e-mobility. These are particularly relevant topics for the rapidly growing Indian society and provide an editorial gateway to Kuraray’s specialty chemicals. However, the corresponding expert articles do not have to be created exclusively for the Indian website region, but can as well be translated into other languages.

Indian testimonials and case studies will also be added in subsequent phases of the project.

4. Online PR & thought leadership
The use of additional online PR on business platforms such as moneycontrol.com or businessinsider.in is recommended to build trust and generate brand awareness in India. 

As Kuraray’s business grows in India, suitable “newsworthy stories” will be created and local PR partners will secure access to relevant publishers.

The SEPTON™ Q-series from Kuraray is advertised in India using a panorama of New Delhi (rather than Toronto).

5. Competition on Google India
India has a young, tech-savvy population, with excellent command of English and benefits from a robust education system – conditions that are ideal for digital professions. The SEO density is accordingly high, leading to intense competition in Google search results.

However, this level of competition also opens up opportunities: We perform a systematic analysis of successful content from the competition, identify tried-and-true structures and topics and build on these insights to develop independent, higher-quality SEO content that is specifically tailored to Kuraray’s target groups in India. One distinct advantage is the high degree of regionalization enabled by our content strategy.

To safeguard against negative SEO, we periodically remove detrimental backlinks using the Disavow tool in the Google Search Console.

These types of compositions combine technical precision (laboratory equipment) and regional references (Indian model), created using two or more original visuals.

1.4 Project structure

The regionalization project is divided into three distinct parts:

  1. Conceptual phase (completed)
  2. Kick-off phase (currently)
  3. Growth phase (to follow)

The conceptual phase has been completed. This case study now focuses on implementation and growth.

2. Kick-off phase

The kick-off phase is divided into:

  1. Launch of the new website region
  2. Content upload
  3. Regionalization of visual media

2.1 Launch of the new website region

The new region elastomer.kuraray.com/in/ was integrated into the existing WordPress Multisite – a setup that offers clear advantages over an implementation that uses the WPML (WordPress MultiLingual) plugin: Separate media libraries, faster loading times, consistent localization and more control over regional customization.

Sometimes small changes are enough for a successful regionalization of photos – like adjusting the skin tone of this model.

Sometimes small changes are enough for a successful regionalization of photos – like adjusting the skin tone of this model.

2.2 Content upload

For technical reasons we could not perform a fully automatic import. We have therefore adjusted manually content such as media, internal links, permalinks and SEO-relevant fields like excerpt, meta description and Open Graph data.

2.3 Regionalization of visual media

In order to improve the target group appeal, we replaced western-themed visuals with suitable Indian ones – without the need for a photo shoot, but rather with efficient budgeting and visual accuracy.

Our approach:

  • Research in stock photo databases: Targeted search for Indian models and sceneries
  • Photo montage: Combining several image elements if required (e.g. Indian researcher + laboratory environment)
  • Image processing: Adjustment of skin tones, perspectives or details, where necessary
  • Generative AI: Used as a “last resort” for missing image sources – with manual correction of any logical inconsistencies (e.g. diver with correctly connected breathing tube)
Generative AI produces logical mistakes that often require extensive manual post-processing.

Our approach:

  • Before and after documentation: Table based comparison with counter-proposals for existing images
  • Staggered release process: First get the rough outline approved, then fine tune – so as to avoid sunk costs
Our before and after documentation is a working document, ensuring the completeness of the image regionalization, as well as a coordination document for Kuraray.

This methodology combines economic viability with cultural authenticity – critical for a demanding B2B audience.

3. Growth phase

The upcoming expansion includes:

  • Specialist articles with a focus on India on the Kuraray Elastomer Blog
  • Localized data and case studies
  • PR collaborations with Indian publishers and business websites
  • Testimonials from Indian customers
  • Regular disavow procedures to ward off negative SEO
  • Extending SEO reporting to include Google India

The growth phase will start shortly. However, the first signs of success from the kick-off measures can already be seen: The organic Google traffic from India has roughly doubled since the launch in January 2025.

Monthly organic Google traffic from India has doubled in the last 3 to 4 months (ahrefs, 4/27/2025).

Contact option for companies

Do you have plans to launch a new localized version or to enhance the digital development of a specific market? We devise sustainable strategies, plan every detail of the regionalization process and implement them efficiently. Contact us now no strings attached!

Please contact us by e-mail or via the contact form. After receiving your initial written request, we will also be happy to advise you personally by phone, video chat, or on-site consultation.

YOUR CONTACT

Maxim Bollig
Digital Marketing Manager
bollig@svaerm.com
+49 (0)69 9494 5 919-1