Unicor, Kabra pact will bring corrugated pipe technology to India

Düsseldorf, Germany — Germany's Unicor GmbH and India's Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd. announced a partnership at K 2016 that will have Kabra making Unicor's corrugated pipe extrusion machinery for the fast-growing Indian market.

The partnership was announced Oct. 21 at K and is designed to provide lower-cost versions of Unicor equipment aimed at India and surrounding countries.

“For us, it will be a real big step,” said Klaus Kaufmann, managing director of Hassfurt, Germany-based Unicor. “Because we are giving our complete drawings and expertise to a partner, it is really like a marriage.”

In an interview at Unicor's booth, Kaufmann said the deal does not include any equity investment by either company.

Mumbai-based Kabra, which makes extrusion machinery for some pipe and blown films, does not manufacture corrugated pipe extrusion equipment.

The agreement covers equipment covering a range of sizes, from 3-millimeters diameter technical pipe to 2.4-meter diameter drainage pipe. It will be manufactured in Kabra's factories in Daman, India.

A news release said the partnership aims to offer “value for money solutions in India as well as other strategic markets.”

Kaufmann said Kabra is a globally well-known firm — it currently has a technology partnership with Battenfeld-Cincinnati Austria GmbH — and is experienced at adapting European technology for the Indian market.

He said existing Unicor equipment would be too expensive for India, but the company wants to tap into that market.

“It is always hard to predict but we have promising projects on the way,” Kaufmann said. He said the partnership has already provided leads to Unicor.

“India is the fastest-growing economy in the world at the moment,” said Deepak Sabherwal, a consultant for Unicor, who helped broker the agreement. “We want to be part of that.”

In the joint statement, Kabra said it sees the agreement as providing a single source for technology in corrugated pipe.

“This agreement represents our joint commitment to provide customers with a single source for the latest technology equipment, supported by strong after sales and service,” said Anand Kabra, managing director of KET.

The agreement covers India and neighboring countries in the Indian subcontinent but could be expanded on a project basis to other countries, Kaufmann said: “There are also some markets in Africa where Kabra has really good contacts.”