Akzo Nobel India Ltd is setting up a new plant at Gwalior for decorative paints. The 60-million-litres a year plant will cost Rs 150 crore. It would come up next year, Amit Jain, MD, told Business Line . He said the company has also proposed to house a Rs 50-crore powder coatings manufacturing unit within the plant complex.
The new wood finishes unit at its Mohali plant will be commissioned in the next quarter.
After the completion of merger process for Akzo Nobel’s subsidiaries in India recently, the company, formerly ICI Ltd, saw expansion of product portfolio.
It now operates in nine businesses and has access to several global brands and technologies.
“We have the portfolio and geographic presence to enter new markets. We are beginning to export protective coatings to West Asia and steel coil coating to Bangladesh,” MD said.
During 2011-12, Akzo Nobel India enhanced manufacturing capacity by commissioning a 30-million-litre facility in Hyderabad. “Our Bangalore site has been strengthened with a new capacity for coil coatings of 8.5 million litres a year. The total capacity of all coatings – marine, protective and coil -- produced at the Bangalore site currently stands at 27 million litres a year,” Amit Jain said.
He said the Bangalore unit, which came to its fold with the merger, would become the hub for coatings manufacturing in India for Akzo Nobel.
“Our globally aligned procurement function ensured sourcing security and regularity of supplies. Moreover, long-term agreements with strategic vendors have already been put into place, thereby guaranteeing raw material availability. In spite of these efforts, we still continue to face cost and margin pressures,” the MD added.