Rajiv sees reward for pre-pandemic investment

Indian masterbatch producer Rajiv Plastics Pvt. Ltd. invested in a new facility just before the coronavirus pandemic struck, and now hopes to reap rewards in India's domestic market.

The Mumbai-based company opened the 60,000 square foot factory in Surangi, about 180 kilometers north of Mumbai, a move that freed up space at an older facility to let Rajiv then expand into the plastics recycling market.

"We have invested about $7 million in the new Surangi site, which opened about 2 years ago just when the pandemic hit the country," said Director Hemant Minocha. "Now, we have two masterbatch manufacturing facilities at Pune & Surangi, while the old unit is now engaged in the new vertical of plastic recycling."

The company said it's installed several new production lines in Surangi, including a ZSK 58 line from Germany's Coperion GmbH for the production of speciality black masterbatches, concentrates and compounds.

"The combined capacity of both the units was 45,000 metric tons a year split evenly, but with the installation of the new Coperion line, an additional 6,000 tonnes capacity would be added," he said.

The company has also entered the liquid colour concentrate market to meet rising demand from the PET and PVC industries, along with customers demanding small volume colorant quantities for engineering and commodity plastics.

"Color matching of liquids are a fairly simple and quick process," Minocha said. "It gives us the upper hand on quick turnarounds as compared to our competitors."

Established in 1978, Rajiv said it's one of India's oldest additive masterbatch and polymer compound manufacturers.

"We are using the latest technologies in machinery, R&D and materials, coupled with a wealth of talent and experience to deliver the finest products," Minocha said. It recently bought a lab scale continuous mixer for highly filled materials and masterbatches.

At K 2022, the company showcased dry blend masterbatches that it said look like special effect glass or stone and that require no carrier resin. They can be directly added to plastics and then injection molded or extruded for a surface finish resembling stone or granite for household products.

About 45 percent of the company's production is exported to 50 countries, with a considerable part going to North America and Africa.

But Minocha said the new investment is primarily aimed at the domestic market.

"We have experienced surge in domestic demand and the new line will help us in fulfilling our domestic commitments," he said. "The installation of the new line will not impact exports, as they will remain pegged at a 45 percent level."

The company serves consumer goods companies including Unilever plc, auto makers like VW, Mahindra and Tata, and domestic commodity manufacturers like Supreme Industries Ltd.