As 2025 draws to a close, PUdaily officially launches the release of its 2025 Global Polyurethane Series Annual Reports. This year's reports cover key polyurethane raw materials such as propylene oxide (PO), polyether polyol, MDI, TDI, BDO, TPU, and rigid foam systems. The research scope spans globally, providing a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the industry's current landscape and future development insights for professionals both within and outside the polyurethane industry.

Below, we will briefly illustrate this with a review of the Indian polyether polyol market from this year as an example:

India’s polyether polyol market has been experiencing robust growth, driven by expanding downstream demand across furniture, bedding, automotive seating, footwear, and construction insulation applications. Domestic production remains limited, with only a few local producers supplying a fraction of the market, necessitating heavy reliance on imports. Imports reached approximately 500 kt in 2024 and are projected to rise by 17% in 2025, reaching 550 to 600 kt, reflecting the sustained expansion of India’s downstream polyurethane (PU) sector, particularly in furniture and automotive foam consumption. The country’s limited domestic capacity is primarily met by companies such as Manali Petrochemicals Limited and Expanded Polyols Systems Pvt. Ltd., which together produce roughly 77 ktpa, accounting for approximately 30% of national demand.

India’s import profile is heavily concentrated in Asia, with China supplying around 40% of polyether polyol imports in 2025, followed by Singapore (14%), Saudi Arabia (13%), Thailand (11%), and South Korea (9%). China’s dominance in global polyol production has been a key driver of this trend. By the end of 2024, China’s polyol capacity reached 9 million tonnes, representing over 56% of global production, and is expected to exceed 10 million tonnes in 2025, creating substantial exportable surpluses that have increasingly flowed to fast-growing markets like India. These structural dynamics are reinforced by constrained access to the U.S., which has imposed tariffs on Chinese PU intermediates, and by Europe’s rationalized supply footprint. Price trends reflect this oversupply: Chinese polyol prices consistently trade below competing regions, putting downward pressure on regional benchmarks and encouraging European and Japanese suppliers to focus on niche, high-performance grades.

From a demand perspective, India’s upholstered furniture sector remains the principal driver of polyether polyol consumption. The country’s home furnishings market has shown strong resilience, supported by urbanization, a growing middle class, and wider penetration of branded mattresses. Product upgrades, including greater adoption of memory foam, high-density foams, and functional formulations such as antimicrobial variants, are further boosting polyol demand. PUdaily forecasts that India’s upholstered furniture segment will sustain robust growth of approximately 7% in 2025, underpinning continued expansion in polyether polyol consumption.

Polyol demand in India’s automotive sector is also on a steady growth trajectory, supported by rising vehicle production, accelerating adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), and a structural shift toward premium models and SUVs. Government incentives for EV manufacturing, supportive industrial policies, and the expansion of domestic automotive brands are driving investment in seat foams, noise-vibration-harshness (NVH) materials, and lightweight interior components, all key applications of polyether polyols. With new model launches and increasing EV penetration, polyol consumption in the automotive segment is expected to remain a significant medium- to long-term growth driver for India’s polyurethane industry.

Key Highlights of PUdaily's 2025 Asia-Pacific Polyether Polyol Market Annual Report

Global Supply-Demand Landscape: Tracking polyether polyol capacity and plant dynamics across global regions, and monitoring corporate investment strategies for the next 3–5 years.

Supply-Demand Balance and Price Correlation Forecast: Review and outlook of the supply-demand balance in major global polyether polyol-producing countries from 2025 to 2030, along with price linkage analysis.

In-depth Analysis of China–Southeast Asia–India Industrial Chain Migration Path: Under the backdrop of international tariff policies, this section covers polyurethane industry investment hotspots, policy incentives, localization progress in 2025, the performance of the polyether polyol supply-demand market in China, Southeast Asia, and India, and an analysis of polyether polyol trade flows in the Asia-Pacific region.

Trade Flows and Price Transmission Mechanisms: Analysis of the impact of raw materials, exchange rates, anti-dumping measures, and other factors on Asia Pacific's polyether polyol import-export trade structure.

PUdaily’s 2025 Asia-Pacific Polyurethane Series Market Annual Report offers the most forward-looking trend judgments and actionable insights to help you capture the most certain growth opportunities in the Asia-Pacific polyurethane industry.