After scripting a turnaround and becoming profitable, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group-owned Phillips Carbon Black Ltd (PCBL) will invest ₹200 crore towards capacity expansion over the next two years.
Focus will also be on increasing business from the speciality black segment.
According to Kaushik Roy, Managing Director, the company will look at 20-25 per cent increase in its capacity to nearly 5,00,000 tonne per annum from the existing 4,10,000 tonne per annum.
Considered to be the seventh largest carbon black maker in the world and the largest in India, PCBL currently has four plants – one each at Palej and Mundra in Gujarat, one in Durgapur, West Bengal, and another at Kochi, Kerala. Investments will mostly be through internal resources and bank loans.
“We have increased the capacity utilisation of our plants to 90-95 per cent from 70 per cent. The demand scenario looks good and so we will look at brownfield expansion across all the units over the next two years,” he said.
Exports to Europe, South-East Asia and the US account for 30 per cent of the company’s turnover. This number may move up once the capex plans materialise.
As Roy points out the second phase may see the company opt for acquisitions across Eastern and Central European nations.
“Immediately there are no acquisition plans on the table. But, we may explore them at the right time,” he said.
PCBL will also look to increase the share of speciality black offerings.
Speciality blackTypically, carbon black finds its use in rubber-related products with car tyre-makers being the biggest customers.
While rubber and related industries account for nearly 90 per cent of PCBL’s order books, the remaining 10 per cent comes from industries that use speciality black. Speciality black finds its usage in plastic, paints and coatings industries.
Meanwhile, the company has declared an interim dividend of 60 per cent or ₹6 per equity share of face value ₹10.
For FY-16, it had declared a final dividend of 25 per cent or ₹2.50 per equity share of face value ₹10 each.