The Indian tissue market seems ready to grow. And Century’s decision to make large quantities of prime grade tissue with world’s best technology marks a big entrance into top quality tissue in India, pushing this industry along even faster.
Century Pulp and Paper (CPP), under the dynamic chairmanship of Mr. B. K. Birla, has entered the tissue business in a big way through the installation of India’s largest and most modern tissue machine. In January this year the company, which is part of the B. K. Birla Group, completed a INR 1.75 billion investment project which includes a new 100 ton per day DCT tissue machine and stock prep lines from Metso, as well as rewinders from A. Celli. PM5 marks CPP’s ambitious foray into the Indian tissue business; it will be capable of making 36,000 tons per year of high quality soft tissue based on 100% virgin fiber.
Established in the year 1984 at Lalkua, a township near the foothills of Himalayas in the state of Uttrakhand, the company after expansion and modernization, presently operates five production lines at the following installed capacities:
Product Array
CPP range of products includes finest varieties of writing and printing, industrial papers, specialty papers, security papers, copy paper and soft tissue from diversified range of raw materials. CPP also manufactures Rayon grade pulp; raw material for viscose filament yarn/staple fiber and bleached hardwood paper grade pulp.
The company has established a strong Brand image in the domestic and overseas market with excellent Quality of it’s products and services and caters to diversified sectors like Note Books, Diaries, Continuous Stationary, Copier, Envelopes, Offset Printing, Security Papers, Industrial papers and Viscose Filament Yarn & Cellophane Paper. CPP is currently focusing on establishing its tissue market by selling jumbo reels, before entering into the tissue products segment under the brand name of Century. It will be sold through distribution and retail networks to end-consumers and institutional clients, such as hotels, airlines, F&B industry etc. This will include setting up a conversion plant in North India, for which the company has already got machinery from Taiwan. This will be followed by plants all over India.
Marketing & Branding
A strong marketing and branding plan is already in place. CPP intend to develop the market in a very positive manner through creative marketing and promotion. With this new tissue machine, the company will be able to feed its brand for finished products, while also displacing some of the jumbo roll imports in to the country.
Growing Tissue Culture
In India there is huge potential of tissue consumption as the culture of tissue usage will slowly come about. It will happen, particularly when international events like Commonwealth Games will be held. Secondly, quality soft tissue is not made in India, and everything is imported. The initiative was to provide high quality tissue made indigenously. CPP maintains bulk between 6 and 8 while in India bulk is usually between 3-4.Moreover with the increased awareness about hygiene the demand for soft tissue demand is expected to grow at much faster pace.
An Import Substitute
Century has installed most modern tissue machine with gas fired tissue dyers to compete with the international quality standards. The product is well accepted in the market due to inherent properties such as softness and bulk. Century has been quite successful to replace importation of Soft Tissue in the Indian market by providing superior product to the domestic consumers.
Commitment to Quality and Service
At CPP, quality is an all pervasive commitment. The company always strive to continually improve the quality of its products and services which has been affirmed in the form of ISO-9001:2000 certification for its quality management systems. The company has been responsive to the changing market requirement and has developed new quality products to care to the varying end uses.
Expansion:
The company is already moving ahead with a giant expansion set for startup in late 2009/early 2010. This includes a big new 500 tpd Board machine to make high quality coated board as well as a large ECF hardwood pulp line. The pulp line will produce 450 tpd in a batch process, while the paper machine will be making very high quality coated board for packaging applications such as foods, liquids, medical items and various consumer products.
