Godrej Soaps managing director Adi B Godrej told The Financial Express that the company was open to looking at all meaningful restructuring opportunities like joint ventures in the future. However, no such issue is on the cards as of today.

The company has already accomplished two major restructuring initiatives this year. The first one was the transfer of the distribution system from Godrej HI Care to Godrej Soaps with effect from January 1, 1999. The second is the splitting of the varied businesses into two separate divisions -- consumer products and chemicals -- with effect from April 1, 1999.

The company is expected to take more restructuring initiatives on these lines during the course of the year.

The restructuring already undertaken stems from suggestions made by Andersen Consulting in consonance with aninternal team of managers at Godrej Soaps, said Godrej.

``The idea is to improve operational efficiency which will lead to bottom line growth and upgradation in market share,'' Godrej said. The company is the third largest player in the Rs 2,900 crore toilet soaps market with a market share of around nine per cent.

The restructuring, said Godrej, also involves the company's four factories at Mumbai, Malanpur, Silvassa and Walia. While the Mumbai, Malanpur and Silvassa factories specifically deal with consumer products, the Walia factory deals with chemical products only. Some transfer of chemical products from Mumbai, Malanpur and Silvassa factories to the Walia factory will take place on an internal contract supply basis.

Earlier, the company had a structure wherein the chemicals and consumer products division were functionally different. Following the bifurcation of its business activities into two separate divisions headed individually by a president, the consumer products division is responsiblefor the manufacturing, marketing, sales and export of its soap and toiletery brands such as Cinthol toilet soaps and Godrej Hair Dyes, while the chemicals division is responsible for the manufacturing, marketing, sales and exports of the various chemical products of Godrej Soaps such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, AOS and glycerine.