• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

Cooper Bussmann to invest Rs 10 cr for capacity hike

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, Oct. 11

COOPER Bussmann India Pvt Ltd expects a four-fold increase in its operations. The company plans to invest Rs 10 crore in capacity expansion over the next two years and is confident of exporting Rs 50 crore per year from 2003-04, Mr Martin Mullin, Operati ons Director, Cooper (UK) Ltd, who is in-charge of India operations, told a news conference in Chennai on Thursday.

Cooper Bussman India produces electrical fuses for various applications. The fuse market in India is of the order of Rs 70 crore and is growing, driven by the demand from telecom and electronics industries, according to Mr A.N. Chandramouli, Managing Dir ector, Cooper Bussman India Pvt Ltd.

Cooper Bussman India began its manufacturing operations in India by taking over in January 2000, S&S LT Switchgear Ltd, part of the Mumbai-based S&S group. The acquisition got Cooper a manufacturing facility in Pondicherry and a network of 25 dealers acr oss India.

Cooper Bussman UK has so far invested Rs 17 crore in the country, which includes the cost of acquisition. Mr Mullin said it was ``not an expensive acquisition'', but did not give any figures.

Cooper Bussman India has since expanded its manufacturing facility at Pondicherry and has also established a trading warehouse. Last year, the company's turnover amounted to Rs 10 crore, half of which came from trading. Turnover this year is expected to be around Rs 22 crore. This is projected to grow to Rs 80 crore, two thirds comings from exports.

Mr Mullin said that the $4.5-billion Cooper Industries group of the US, saw India as a key market for its business. It was mentioned at the press conference that another company of the Cooper Industries group was keen on setting up shop in India and Coop er Bussman India was in negotiations with that company for sharing the infrastructure at Pondicherry.

Cooper Bussman intends to make the Pondicherry plant the distribution centre for Central Asia.

The second phase of expansion of the Pondicherry facilities has just been completed and the opening ceremony is scheduled for October 14. ``Over Rs 6 crore of assets have been added in the last 12 months,'' Mr Mullin said.

Mr Chandramouli said that the company would kickstart its brand building exercise at the Elecrama exhibition to be held in January.

In India, Cooper Bussman would compete with GE and L&T, Mr Del Parkinson, Manager, Product & Market Development, said.

Asked if the other branches of the Cooper Industries would also come into India through acquisitions, Mr Mullin said he would not rule out the possibility. ``Cooper Industries is a very acquisitive company,'' he said.