Man Industries pivots to KSA localization with USD 102 mn NPC acquisition

India-based pipe manufacturer Man Industries is building Saudi Arabia into a key Gulf manufacturing base after completing its USD 102 mn (INR 10 bn) acquisition of Saudi Arabia-based National Pipe Company (NPC), as local content rules, import duties, and rising energy and water infrastructure demand change how Indian industrial companies serve the Gulf markets.

From exporters to local players: The acquisition signals a structural transition from exporting pipes out of India to building heavy industrial capacity inside the Kingdom, Managing Director of Man Industries Nikhil Mansukhani, tells EnterpriseAM. “We realized that if we wanted our share of the Saudi market, we needed to be present locally. We were no longer eligible for many tenders because we were not local. Local manufacturing has become a very important criterion in Saudi Arabia,” Mansukhani says.

Why Saudi? Man Industries is a regular supplier of line pipes to the Kingdom between 2015 and 2021. However, Saudi Aramco’s in-Kingdom value-added (IKTVA) requirements, changing localization frameworks, and a 15% import duty gradually eroded the competitiveness of direct exports from India.

The NPC’s advantage

A shortcut to Saudi approvals: Acquiring NPC gives Man Industries immediate manufacturing capability and a premium client roster that would otherwise take years to establish from scratch. Operating out of Dhahran and Dammam, NPC has an annual installed capacity of 430k metric tons (MT) of HSAW and LSAW pipes. Its existing customer base features heavyweights like Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Water Authority, the Saudi Water Partnership Company, the Water Transmission & Technologies Co., and Kuwait Oil Company.

“The biggest advantage is that NPC is already approved by Saudi Aramco,” Mansukhani says. “If we had built a new mill from scratch, we would first have had to spend around two years on construction and approvals. After that, we would need API certification, which can take six to eight months. Then we would have to conduct trials with Aramco and government clients before becoming an approved supplier.”

NPC is currently pushing through 60k tons of pipe fabrication for Aramco’s Zuluf field upgrade, with fresh orders and inquiries ongoing. Crucially, Man Industries also inherits NPC’s regulatory approvals across other key regional markets, including Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.

Order pipeline jumps: Backed by its Saudi footprint, Man Industries’ overall bid book has nearly doubled, jumping from its historical average of INR 100-130 bn to roughly INR 250 bn. The firm is already actively bidding on 8-10 major projects out of its new Saudi platform.

From pipes to coating

Before closing the NPC agreement, Man Industries had been drawing up plans for a greenfield pipe mill in the Kingdom. That capital expenditure will now be redirected toward a specialized greenfield coating and double-jointing facility, which is already under construction and slated to go live between December and January.

Why coating matters: Bare pipes and industrial coating are treated as entirely separate vendor categories under Saudi procurement protocols. “A company may be the lowest bidder for pipes but not for coating,” Mansukhani explains. NPC’s bare pipes are already approved, and the new coating facility will add another distinct revenue stream.

What comes next?

The company is eyeing a potential stainless-steel finishing facility in Saudi Arabia within 18 months. It is currently setting up 25k tons of extrusion capacity in India and plans to route material to the Kingdom to feed a planned finishing facility.

A Western export springboard: Saudi production could also help Man Industries serve markets where Indian exports face restrictions or quotas. “Saudi Arabia does not have the same restrictions or quotas in markets such as Europe and the US,” Mansukhani says.

The financial outlook: By FY 2028, Man Industries projects its Saudi business will generate an annual top line contribution of up to INR 40 bn, maintaining EBITDA margins of around 14-16%.

Saudi first, GCC later: While the Saudi asset gives Man Industries the flexibility to supply neighboring states like Jordan, Iraq, and Abu Dhabi, local Saudi demand is robust enough to fully absorb its output for the next three years. “We do not expect a practical need to go outside the Kingdom in a major way over the next three years,” Mansukhani says.

Oil and gas will remain the primary demand driver for the company in the Middle East, accounting for roughly 65-70% of regional demand, while large-scale water transmission infrastructure will make up the remaining 30-35%. Emerging segments like carbon capture and hydrogen infrastructure are also being monitored as long-term growth options.