NCL draws up expansion plan
Sees growth opportunities in both cement and doors business pan-India
Hyderabad: NCL Industries, the flagship company of Hyderabad-based NCL Group, is taking up modernisation and expansion at its cement units and strengthening its footprint in the doors segment in the near-term. The company has plans to invest about Rs 300 crore in the cement segment. The company’s Nagarjuna Cement brand is seeing continued demand from the trade segment, which contributes almost 60 per cent of the business, while the projects contribute about 35-40 per cent across its markets. The company primarily focuses on Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Roopa Bhupatiraju, executive director, NCL Industries, told Telangana Today, “We are working on both greenfield and brownfield projects to expand cement production capacity. We are carrying out modernisation projects at our facility at Mattapalli in Nalgonda district of Telangana to improve energy conservation, by replacing the old mills with new and advanced mills, that will help enhance capacity. The work includes the installation of vertical roller mills to replace the plant’s old ball mills.” “We are also setting up a grinding unit in AP and are awaiting permits and clearances. We have a total capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per annum, and with the expansion, this will go up to 3.6 million tonnes per annum in the next two years,” she added.
When asked about the cement demand, she said, “Covid has not impacted the cement business as the company was involved in the government projects be it Kaleshwaram or Polavaram, ensuring consistent supplies, despite the lockdown. Governments have remained invested in large scale infrastructure projects, and this has kept the prospects for cement business positive.”
NCLdoor business
The company’s door products are completely engineered and are made up of Bison Panel which makes them water and fire resistant. “The company imports raw materials from Germany and Italy, uses European technology and makes the products in an advanced facility near Hyderabad, with a capacity to make 1,000 doors per day. The size of the facility ensures quick supply. The service also gives an edge over other products in the market,” she said.
Bhupatiraju added, “We have so far installed over 10,000 doors. Initially, our focus was on Hyderabad, but seeing the potential for our products, we quickly expanded our presence to 10 major markets in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Lucknow and Jaipur. The future of the doors business is going to be good. The demand is there across sectors- be it retail, services or manufacturing.”
On the innovation front, the company is doing a lot of R&D to bring a variety of products with different thicknesses and designs. Constant innovation has enabled the company to meet the requirements of both B2B and B2C needs. The company is developing both premium and budget doors to meet varied market requirements. “NCL has recently developed fire-rated doors for the Mumbai market. We have got certified for one-hour fire rating. We are going for a two-hour fire rating soon,” she informed. NCLdoor, which is a two-year old division now, is aiming for break-even by the end of this year or early next year. There is an increase in demand in west, north and eastern markets, as the doors suit any climate. Bison Panel walls are also seeing demand in cold and wet climate regions. The company exports boards to the UAE and other markets.
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