The Rs 365-crore Indian Dyestuff Industries (IDI) is investing Rs 25-40 crore in increasing capacities. While Rs 5-7 crore will be used for doubling pigment capacity from around 600 tonnes per annum (tpa) to 1200tpa at Thane near Mumbai, the balance will be spent on expanding capacities for dyes, intermediates, solvents and optical brightners.
IDI vice-chairman and managing director Atulya Y Mafatlal said as part of the on-going re-structuring, the company has decided to focus on vat dyes, solvents, anthroquinone intermediates and optical brightners, the areas in which IDI is globally competitive.
While capacities for vat dyes, DAR (disperse, acid and reactive) dyes, pigments and solvents are being doubled, a study is being carried out to determine additional capacities required for making anthroquinone intermediates and optical brightners.
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We will double our turnover from optical brightners in three-five years. Our aim is to be among the top-three players in the world in whichever business we are. For this, we will enter into technical, marketing or manufacturing alliances, said Mafatlal.
IDI recently acquired the solvents business of Morton of the US. It has a 50:50 joint venture with Ciba Specialty Chemicals of Switzerland for pigments marketing and it has signed a know-how agreement for vat dyes.