Glass industry goes for Rs. 7,000cr expansion

Mumbai : Expecting huge glass demand in the domestic market, the Indian glass manufacturers have decided to ramp up their capacities with the introduction of the latest technologies involving an investment of Rs. 7,000cr. The domestic glass industry, which is expected to be about Rs. 18,000cr, has invested about half of this amount for capacity additions largely because of lower demand growth in the country. The local glass industry currently manufactures about 7,000 tons of container glass and 4,500 tons per day of float glass, besides a range of special glass including those used for solar panels.

Hindustan National Glass & Industries (HNGI) sources said that the company has lined up Rs. 1,500cr expansions for the next one year or so to add a capacity of 1,000 TPD through a new plant at Naidupetta and brown field expansion at its Nashik facility, besides Rs. 850cr expansions in its HNGI subsidiary of Float Glass Limited. The lion share of funds will be pumped in introducing latest and hi-tech technology in our manufacturing plants. Likewise, AGI Glaspac is investing Rs. 600cr to add 450 TPD at its Andhra Pradesh facility and is set to wrap up the entire expansion by the beginning of next year. The float glass makers have also lined up Rs. 3,000cr expansions wherein Saint Gobain Glass India has targeted a whopping investment of Rs. 1,000cr in its multiple projects across the country.