 "Sahyadri Industries launches do-it-yourself green toilet blocks")
The company is focusing rural markets to promote the blocks. It has a target of selling 40,000 blocks in the next one year. The make-shift toilets have a shelf life of 25 years and can be set up anywhere in rural or urban areas. The block are being manufactured at its SIL's Chinchwad plant. The company has made additional investment of Rs 25 crore this venture. Typically, a block costs in the range of Rs 9000 to Rs 30,000 per unit.
"After manufacturing for several years, we have now moved into solutions business. The dry construction techniques are used for making the blocks. It can be installed in any terrain of little resources like tribal, hilly areas, tourist spots, forts, residential and school premises. It addresses immediate sanitation requirements of the country. It is also easier to maintain hygiene, health and convenience in an affordable way with these blocks, said Satyen Patel, managing director of Sahyadri Industries.
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Sahyadri Industries is a manufacturer of fibre cement corrugated and flat sheets and non-asbestos flat sheets which contributes 85 per cent of its total product portfolio. It has plants in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Its other products include Entasafe-main doors, Cemply-flat sheets, Ecopro-fibre cement boards, Swastik-roofing sheets and Swastik- backyard poultry cabins.
Patel added, “As a part of our exports initiatives, we have drawn up plans to nearby double the export sales during the next financial year. We are targeting to double our exports and also our overall turnover this fiscal. Last year our exports were about Rs. 100 crore." Currently, it exports the sheets to Middle East and African markets.
Having a turnover of Rs. 372 crore (2013-14), the company will manufacture these blocks at its six units located across the country. The company had posted net loss of Rs 6 crore last fiscal.
The company's shares down 3 per cent and hit upper circuit at Rs. 81.70 on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Friday. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs. 94.40 earlier this month, while it had touched a 52-week low of Rs. 28.40 in February this year.