Shalimar Paints buys new plant in UP, to up production capacity

Our Corporate Bureau
17 July 2003

Mumbai: Shalimar Paints Ltd, India''s oldest paint company, has acquired a new manufacturing facility at Sikandrabad in Uttar Pradesh.

The plant is located in the industrial area near Ghaziabad, which also has many other well-known paint factories. This plant was originally set up as American Paints only a few years ago in technical collaboration with Sherwin Williams, USA, which is the world''s largest architectural coating manufacturing company. The machinery and equipment of this plant are all imported and of a very high quality.

The present capacity of the plant is 400 KL (kilo-litre) per month. Steps have been taken to install new machinery and balancing equipment to increase this to 1000 KL per month within the next six months. The plant will also produce the newly-launched products like No 1 Silk Emulsion and Superlac Soft Sheen Satin Finish for wide-ranging users.

With this latest acquisition, Shalimar Paints, which recently became a debt-free company by paying the last instalment to the financial institutions, will be able to ensure quick and prompt supply of top quality exterior and interior finishes to the dealers and customers in North India. This new initiative will strengthen Shalimar Paint''s presence in North India and add to its overall market share in India. The company already is a major player in the South and has a modest market share in the East and the West.

Shalimar Paints turned around under the dynamic leadership of its managing director, S L Agarwal. He says: "We have taken this step to increase our presence and market share in the Indian paint industry. A professional core management team, reorganisation of structure, production as per market demands, consumer-friendly approach, better supply-chain management, commitment to quality, enviable product range and strong distribution network are some of the major reasons for Shalimar''s success. The company is on the path of steady growth and is hopeful of growing at an even faster pace in the coming days."