International crop-protection chemicals major, Willowood Group will soon set up an R&D lab in Savli, near Vadodara which the company aims to develop as its global product development centre. To be set up at an investment of Rs 25 crores in two years, the centre will come up on a 10 acre land which Willowood has recently acquired.
"Our aim is to establish an integrated model in the group, right from research to agri-chemical products at farm level. While we recently launched our specialty agri-chemical company - Willowood Crop Sciences Pvt. Ltd. (WCSPL) in Gujarat for marketing our products in the state, we have also acquired a 10 acres land in Savli near Vadodara for setting up an R&D facility. We will develop this lab as a global product development centre at Savli for Willowood Group at an investment of Rs 25 crore in two years," said Vijay Mundra, managing director of Willowood Hong Kong.
The company is awaiting GLP accreditation for the upcoming R&D centre.
"We are awaiting GLP accreditation because the nature of products are toxic and poisonous and therefore we have to go through regulatory processes. All the chemical analysis, field trials, residue trials and toxicology will be conducted at the centre," said Vijay Mundra.
The group announced launch of WCSPL in Gujarat, wherein Willowood's products will be made available at all major agri-retail stores across the state.
Nationally, WCSPL products will soon be available at more than 2,000 agri-retail hubs, reaching out to millions of Indian farmers.
"Willowood has established depots spanning seven states of Punjab, Haryana, MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, offering its international crop protection solutions through an estimated network of 2,000 dealers, to cater to farmers' needs. The company is targeting the impending crop season for paddy, wheat, soya-bean, cotton, sugarcane, chilli, tea and vegetables," said Parikshit Mundhra, managing director of Willowood India.
With its roots in Hong Kong, USA, Africa and China, the company is able to source quality products with registration support and provides specialty formulations of global standards in India through its manufacturing facility in Vadodara.
According to Parikshit Mundhra, the Vadodara plant currently manufactures weedicides, insecticides and fungicides at a capacity of 8.5 million litres per annum for liquid and 50,000 metric tonnes per annum for solids.
With the launch of 'Willowood' brand of agri-chemicals and crop-protection products in Gujarat, the company is looking at building a dealership of 250 by end of the current fiscal.
While Willowood India enjoys a turnover of Rs 325 crore, the Willowood Group has registered a global turnover Rs 800 crore.
Moreover, while the global and Indian agri-chemicals industries are growing at three per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, the company is witnessing a growth of over 25 per cent.
"We are growing faster than the industry because we have been adding two countries every year and expanding our reach quickly," Vijay Mundhra added.
