PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2019

PREFORM PRODUCTION PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 12/19 www.petpla.net 23 onstrates National’s strategy: PET will always be an integral part of National Polyplast but growth will come from IML as well. Three preform plants, one located in Northern India at Roorkee, one in West at Silvassa and the third in South at Pondicherry, have a total capacity of over 60,000 t of material. Raw material is supplied primarily by Indorama and Reliance. As stated above, 20% is des- tined for PepsiCo; other major custom- ers include Bisleri, Big Cola, Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Nourishco Beverages. “We’re clearly going for Husky equipment,” said Alok Parakh. “Many customers have, in the past, experi- enced difficulties with inex- pensive preforms and they approach us looking for new, reliable products. Roughly 85 to 90% of our preforms are destined for the domes- tic market, while the rest are for export, mainly to African countries or the Middle East.” The turnover of the National Group has grown by almost 63% to US$70 mil- lion since our last meeting, in 2017. Some 20% is attribut- able to the preform business alone. “We see the boom in local brands as the trigger factor behind this,” he contin- ued. “This year, we also had the Cricket League games, with a lot of beverages being consumed everywhere. The elections that are currently under way may also make a contribution.” In addition to the planned expansions in the future, the last two to three years have seen a stronger focus on product development with custom- ers. Alcoholic Beverages and Edible Oil segments are also to be added, with two new production lines already in operation. www.na tionalplastics- group.com Director Alok Parakh in the entrance area of his automotive plant near Chennai