Tinplate Company of India Ltd, the largest producer of tinplate in India, is focusing on value-addition through its solutions centre.
The solutions centre, set up about a year-and-a-half ago at a cost of around Rs 20 crore, is at present booked to capacity from leading consumer goods company like Asian Paints, ICI, Cadbury’s, among others.
“We are now offering full solutions to companies using tinplate as a packaging material, including product-friendly innovative can designs to choose from, as well as printing and lacquering services,” said managing director Bushen Raina. He told FE that the company could even supply cans in future by tying up with can makers if consumers so desired.
Tinplate, which is currently routing 1.24 lakh tonne of its 1.80 lakh tonne annual production, has plans to put up additional facilities in future to increase its value addition activities here. The company is set to commission a new facility in April 2008 which would increase its electrolytic tinplate (ETP) making capacity from 1.80 lakh tonne per annum (ltpa) to 3.80 ltpa.
Company sources also said depending upon the success of the solutions centre here, TCIL was also thinking of putting up printing and lacquering facilities both in the west and north zones to cater to those markets. “Western India, especially, is a big market,” said a source.
The company, by involving customers, fabricators and its own personnel at the solutions centre, has also been offering innovative can design services to its customers.
Tinplate, which is looking forward to a ‘underlying turnover’ of Rs 1,000 crore during the current fiscal (Rs 864 crore in 2006-07), recently received the JRD QV award.
Asked if TCIL is in talks with Corus plc (now a part of Tata Steel), which has an annual tinplate making capacity of 1.5 million tonne, Raina said it was for Tata Steel to take the matter forward.