Plastiblends India Ltd., India's largest exporter of plastic masterbatches, will add 22 million pounds of capacity at its plant in Daman, India, by the end of May.
In a recent interview, director Anand Kabra said the new capacity is needed to meet demand growth in both the export and domestic markets. Mumbai-based Plastiblends had added about 13 million pounds of capacity at its plant in Roorkee, India, in August, Kabra said. The two plants cover a total of 430,000 square feet of space, employing 325 on a variety of twin-screw extruders, continuous mixers and pelletizing lines.
Sales for Plastiblend's 2007-08 fiscal year are expected to hit $40 million, an increase of more than 30 percent from the year before. Exports make up about 35 percent of the firm's overall sales, and Kabra said he expects export sales to continue to grow at an even faster rate than India's booming domestic sector.
``We're looking overseas at Europe and the U.S.,'' he said. ``But in the next couple of years we expect to see consumption increase in India as well. The Indian plastics market is moving away from being dominated by smaller businesses where it's owner-run and a one-man show.''
Packaging has been a big growth market for Plastiblends, along with masterbatches for pipe used in telecommunications and other industries. Its masterbatches also are used in fibers used to make woven sacks, as well as in biaxially oriented polypropylene film and multilayer blown film.
Masterbatches made by Plastiblends are based on polyethylene, polypropylene, PET and other resins. Its total production for 2008 is projected to reach 90 million pounds, in an Indian masterbatches field that's estimated at 500 million pounds in size.
Plastiblends has been recognized as India's largest masterbatch exporter for four consecutive years by the Plastics Export Promotion Council of India. The firm is part of Mumbai-based Kolsite Group of Cos., which also owns machinery maker Kolsite Machine Fabrik Pvt. Ltd. and PVC pipe and profile maker Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd.
