India, Sept. 19 -- The biggest Indian export stories aren't always the ones with the flashiest end products. Some of the country's most globally entrenched manufacturers make things most people never think about - a net that holds fish in open water, a chemical that helps a T-shirt hold its colour, a plastic pen that delivers medicine. Five companies have turned exactly this kind of specialisation into genuinely global businesses, each one now a meaningful supplier in its own corner of the world.

Garware Technical Fibres Garware Technical Fibres manufactures engineered nets and cages used in fish farming, aquaculture, marine applications, sports, shipping, agriculture, and industrial protection, along with coated fabrics and geosynthetic...