The Hindu Business Line : Grasim Industries to launch new generation viscose fibre

The company's main viscose fibre plant at Nagda in Madhya Pradesh has taken up trial production of the new generation textile fibre intended to cater to the high-end fabric applications.

Initially, the plant is likely to produce 10-12 tonnes of `excel' fibre per day, according to Mr Vijay Kaul, Chief Marketing Officer of Grasim Industries (staple fibre division).

Premium Fibre

The new fibre, after its viscose and modal fibre ranges, will be positioned as the premium cellulosic fibre that would be used for manufacture of high end apparels such as shirting or denim fabrics that are expected to carry higher fabric strength and the bouncy look.

Mr Kaul and other top officials of the Grasim Industries were in Tirupur on Saturday where the `Birla Cellulose's fabric design studio' was inaugurated — the first one to be set up in South.

The design studio, which will have varied viscose/modal fibre-based fabric and garment samples, will serve as a resource centre for the Tirupur knitwear exporters, who can bring the buyers seeking supplies of fashion garments from them to the studio to access the latest fashion fabrics.

"Since Grasim is already working with several apparel brands and also fashion designers, the samples displayed at the design studios can be easily identified as the latest fashion trends for the benefit of buyers," Mr Vijay Kaul added.

Research Centre

In order to aid the domestic textile industries competitiveness, Birla Cellulose has set up its own textile research and application development centre at Kharach near Surat at a cost of Rs 35 crore.

This centre supports Indian brands to perfect its product manufacture to achieve global standards.

The centre enables the textile manufacturers getting fabric samples and even mid-bulk (small volume of fabric supplies for converting into garments) which helps the garment producers/exporters expedite their production.

Grasim's Tirupur fabric design studio was inaugurated by the Tirupur Exporters Association President, Mr A. Sakthivel.

The company is also planning to open one more Birla Cellulose design centre at Bangalore in a month or two.

Higher Growth

With a view to tapping the potential opening up for its range of cellulosic fibre, Grasim is also doubling its fibre production from its Kharach plant from the present 175 tonnes per day to 350 tonnes and this expansion will, according to Mr Kaul, be through by March 2008. Grasim industries' present total cellulosic (viscose) fibre production capacity is around 1,400 tonnes per day, which includes Birla group fibre plants in Thailand, Indonesia and China.

The company is also doubling the capacity of its China plant from the present 30,000 tonnes per annum to 60,000 tonnes. With the higher growth rate anticipated for the domestic textile sector in view of the globalised textile trade regime, Grasim Industries too anticipates the company's fibre marketing too would show a higher growth at 11-12 per cent by 2010 from the current annual growth rate of 3-4 per cent. Grasim is also seeking a foray into non-woven textiles and some projects in this regard would be through over the next one-year or so.

More Stories on : Textiles | Outlook | New Projects | Grasim Industries Ltd

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