Mumbai-headquartered Brilliant Polymers, one of India’s leading manufacturers of lamination adhesives for flexible packaging, has announced its large-scale capacity expansion – a new state-of-the-art plant at its site in Ambernath. The new factory, about 60 km from Mumbai, was inaugurated on 2 July and is expected to double the company’s production capacity.
The total capacity at the company’s Ambernath site will double to 45,600 metric tons, making it one of the world’s largest single sites for manufacturing lamination adhesives. With a total investment of more than Rs 100 crore (US$ 12.5 million), the plant has more than 20 reactors and is controlled by a state-of-the-art DCS system. The large batch sizes up to 35 tons enhance capacity and quality to ensure the best in class economies of scale.
Brilliant Polymers’second plant in Ambernath near MumbaiPhoto: Brilliant Polymers
“We are very bullish about the growth prospects of the Indian economy and the Indian packaging industry. The capacity expansion comes at an opportune time as the flexible packaging industry continues to expand and the demand for our products remains high. With the completion of the second plant, Brilliant has strengthened its position in the Indian and global markets. We are confident that our promise of technology, quality, and service will continue to give us an edge,” says Gaurav Talwar, managing director of Brilliant Polymers.
Gaurav Talwar, managing director, Brilliant PolymersPhoto: PSA
Talwar further stated that the company currently supplies between 2.5 to 2.7% of the world’s requirement of solvent-based and solvent-free laminating adhesives; with the new capacity, it expects to increase its share in the global market to over 5%.
“We feel that we should be hoping to sell out our capacity within the next two to three years between our domestic business and the aggressive focus on exports. We have a very strong business plan in place. Our growth rate has been over 30% every year for the last five years. And if we continue to grow at the same rate, this target can be easily achieved,” he adds.
R&D drives innovation and new products
In addition to the increased capacity, the new facility brings increased capabilities. The new plant will allow the company to further its R&D initiatives by launching several new products in the solvent-based and solvent-free adhesives space planned in the coming months.
The new high-performance solvent-based adhesives, including those for applications such as retort pouches and with high running solids of 50 – 55%, are also in the pipeline. The company intends to launch new low monomer products made with pure MDI in the fast-growing solvent-free space. These offer extremely fast chemical and physical cure rates with very rapid PAA decay times – a must in today’s regulatory scenario.
Open to organic and inorganic growth
Brilliant Polymers has been in the business since 2013 and is looking to expand its geographical footprint in India. “This has been on the cards for some time. We have a list of geographical options and are looking at greenfield projects and acquisitions. We will look everywhere and decide what is best for us,” Talwar adds.
Big focus on exports to developed markets
Brilliant Polymers derives a significant chunk of its top line from the export market. Thus far, it exports to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Africa. The company is now eyeing aggressive expansion into developed markets such as North America and Europe.
“We already have a big export business and are looking to expand further by entering markets such as North America and Europe. We are talking to people to set up a full front end. We want to be fully prepared and do not want to enter these markets just for the sake of it,” Talwar explains.
Brilliant Polymers’ sustainable growth plan
According to Talwar, sustainability remains at the heart of Brilliant’s growth strategy. “Every business is inextricably linked with the environment and the community in which it operates. We believe that a business can only be successful in the long term by creating value both for its shareholders and for society at large,” he says.
Machinery inside Brilliant Polymers’ second plantPhoto: Brilliant Polymers
To achieve this, the company has formulated the Brilliant Polymers Sustainable Growth Plan – an ambition to decouple growth from the environmental footprint while increasing positive social impact. The plan is rooted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and has three main pillars – economic, environmental, and social.
The Brilliant Polymers Sustainable Growth Plan puts sustainability at the core of its business strategy. “As we continue our journey in this resource-constrained, climate-impacted world, we believe that a robust sustainability strategy is a prerequisite for survival and success,” says Gaurav Talwar.
