“We assist the paper industry by developing next-generation products. We supply BF booster, RCT enhancer, ply bonding chemicals, and slushing aid to many paper, and paperboard industries in India and abroad.”
Vertex Chem Pvt. Ltd. (VCPL) specialises in manufacturing industrial chemicals. Based in Kalyan (Thane), VCPL has a wide range of products for the paper industry like sizing chemicals, slushing aid, anti-dust, anti-fluff, retention and drainage aid, defoamer, deinking chemicals, finishing agents, and coating additives. In an interview with Paper Mart, Mr. Kailash C. Kabra, Managing Director, Vertex Chem Pvt. Ltd., talks about his journey, product portfolio, and outlook on the paper industry.
Paper Mart: Kindly take us through the journey and product portfolio of Vertex Chem Pvt. Ltd.
Kailash C. Kabra: Vertex Chem Pvt. Ltd. (VCPL) was established in the year 1994 to produce various types of industrial chemicals. The company’s main focused area is to manufacture speciality chemicals for pulp & paper, wastewater treatment, and textile industries. VCPL supplies a wide range of products for the paper industry like sizing chemicals, defoamer, deinking chemicals (for washing & floatation), coating chemicals, dispersing agent, cross-linking agent, finishing agent, lubricant, gloss agent, binder, additives, etc. Our products are used in fiber line, paper machines, duplex boards, kraft paper, tissue paper, ETP, etc.
PM: Could you shed some light on the R&D efforts of the company along with some new developments?
KCK: We have set up a state-of-the-art R&D centre and advanced manufacturing facility near Mumbai in Maharashtra where we continue to search for newer products and optimise current processes that enable our customers to be competitive in the marketplace without compromising on quality. Our profound infrastructure is empowered with a well-equipped laboratory, capacious warehouse, cutting-edge technology, gamut of ultra-modern machinery, and superb working environment. We have developed barrier coatings (water repellent coating), oil & grease resistant chemicals for kraft paper, white paper, and paperboard. We have also developed a new generation cooking aid and anti-pitch for pulp mills. Our chemicals are used to prevent ply delamination and provide stiffness to duplex boards. For the kraft paper segment, we have developed BF booster and odour control chemicals along with ply bonding chemicals and RCT enhancers. We have also produced next-generation ash enhancer and wet strength resins for writing & printing paper and tissue paper segments respectively. We offer a plant trial by our well-qualified technical sales team to show the performance of our products.
“We have developed barrier coatings (water repellent coating), oil & grease resistant chemicals for kraft paper, white paper, and paperboard.”
PM: What is the vision of your company?
KCK: VCPL’s vision is to strive for innovation in product development to achieve the best economic and eco-friendly solutions for our customers. Our team lays a strong emphasis on high-quality product standards that underline our name in the industry. We aim to replace single-use plastic by using advanced coating chemicals and wet-end chemicals.
PM: What are the strengths of VCPL?
KCK: VCPL has been manufacturing papermaking chemicals for more than 25 years. The distinctive place of our organisation in national as well as international market is due the quality standards followed. We maintain it in all our proceedings under the supervision of our quality inspectors and adopt hygienic and environment-friendly norms to meet the international quality standards. The procurement, formulation, storage, and packaging are all undertaken on well-defined norms of the industry. Moreover, stringent checks conducted on the chemicals are based on composition, purity, pH value, and effectiveness
Our chemicals mainly target pulp mills, paper machines, and coating processes. We assist the paper industry by developing next-generation products. We supply BF booster, RCT enhancer, ply bonding chemicals, and slushing aid to many paper, and paperboard industries in India and abroad.
PM: Please outline the current market presence of Vertex Chem Pvt. Ltd. and your goals with respect to increasing your reach in the domestic and global markets.
“We aim to replace single-use plastic by using advanced coating chemicals and wet-end chemicals.”
KCK: Vertex Chem Pvt. Ltd. has a pan-India presence for all types of paper and paperboard chemicals. Besides India, we serve clients based in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arabia. Our clientele includes N R Agarwal Industries, Ballarpur Industries, Orient Paper, Gayatrishakti Paper & Boards, Kuantum Papers, Sidharth Papers, West Coast Paper Mills, Krishna Tissues, Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Paper, Balkrishna Paper Mills, and others. Currently, we are focussing on appointing more dealers and technical teams in South East Asia, Middle East Asia, and Africa.
PM: How do you view the Indian paper industry and the market potential of papermaking chemicals?
KCK: Tissue and packaging segments are growing at 8.5 percent year-on-year due to huge demand in the e-commerce, retail and pharmaceutical sectors. In the current scenario, the cost of fiber is very high and availability is low. Moreover, the quality of fiber is not good. By using speciality chemicals, we can address such issues and enhance paper quality.
