Essentra Plc on strategic expansion in India

Essentra plc has embarked on strategic expansion of its activities in India, with the formal opening of a new purpose-built, standalone facility in Bangalore. With potential employment for up to 100 individuals, the 70,000 sq. ft. site has the capacity to accommodate manufacturing, warehousing and the appropriate commercial infrastructure for all the Essentra’s business activities. The Company’s successful joint venture with ITC in Filter Products will continue as is, and does not form part of this project.

India is a key opportunity market for Essentra. The end-markets for the Company’s specialty components, such as healthcare and industrial products, are sizeable and well-established, exhibiting annual growth of up to c.20%. Going forward, Essentra’s entire operational structure in India (excluding the joint venture with ITC) will be led by Mr A Narayanaswamy (“Narayan”), General Manager – India. Narayan, who joined the Essentra Group in 2000, will be responsible for the development of Essentra’s overall business activities in India, and will work closely with the divisional commercial teams in pursuit of the Group’s collective objectives.

In the first instance, the new facility will bring together the Company’s existing manufacturing and sales activities in Packaging with its Porous Technologies division, which is entering the Indian market with local manufacturing capability for the first time. In respect of the former, there is scope to expand the product offering into more value-added areas in tear tape, labels and security technologies, while the latter will be seeking to build on its established writing instruments business to exploit growth opportunities in healthcare, nibs, consumer care and specialty filtration. Shortly thereafter, the Company’s Components and Speciality Tapes businesses will establish commercial, customer and warehousing capabilities at the new facility.