“The recent investment in our new R&D centre in Surangi (Odisha) ensured us to stay ahead of demand. I have a sense of satisfaction that we will stay prepared in advance for any sort of emerging demand for a product,” says Mr. Narrindra Suranna, CMD, KKalpana Group.
Established in the year 1975, KKalpana Group established a niche for itself in the cable industry as a quality supplier of PVC Compounds. Today, under the dynamic stewardship of Late D.C. Surana, Founder of the group and Mr. Narrindra Suranna, CMD. the group has culminated to attain a status of largest manufacture of polymer compounds in India with an installed capacity of PVC compounds – 36,000 MT, silane based compound – 65,800 MT, XLPE compound – 24,000 MT, PE & PP filled compound – 18,000 MT, semicon compound – 12,500 MT, Halogen Free Flame Retardant (HFFR) compound – 8,000 MT for strippable and non-strippable applications and printing ink and adhesives – 4,200 MT. The quality of all products conforms to national and international standards.
WCI recently had an opportunity to interview Mr. Narrindra Suranna, CMD, KKalpana Group. Excerpts:
WCI: To start with, tell us briefly about KKalpana Group.
Narrindra Suranna: Kkalpana Industries is one of the oldest players in the field of polymer compounds. We started from Kolkata in 1975 with PVC Compounds for cable and footwear industry. The main promoter is Suranna family which is holding 74 percent stake in listed entitled KKalpana Industries (India) Ltd.
From 1990, our group has seen exceptional growth and has set up multiple manufacturing units in Kolkata, Daman and Silvassa. Our group is currently largest polymer compounder in the country with total installed capacity close to 300000 Tonnes per annum. We cater to wire and cable industry, packaging industry, pipe industry, consumer durable, automobile and home appliance industries.
WCI: Give us a brief summary of your product portfolio.
NS: More than 50 percent of our business comes from products for cable industry. We are offering all kinds of polymer compounds for voltage rating starting from low voltage up to high voltage (1.1 KV to 66 KV). Our key product range includes PVC compounds for power cables and flexible cables, building wires. XLPE Compounds includes Sioplas for low voltage and medium voltage. XLPE insulation for 66 KV includes products such as TR XLPE. We also offer semi conducting grades as well as halogen free flame retardant grades.
Apart from cable industry, our product range has products like filled master batches, color master batches and additive master batches for packaging and house ware industry. The PVC & EVA compounds are supplied to footwear industries; PEX B, PPR and PE compounds are supplied to pipe industries. In addition the products such as ABS color, ABS FR, Nylon 6 and 66, PBT compounds, PMMA and PC compounds are being delivered to automobiles and white goods industries.
WCI: Coming to your supplies to the wire and cable industry, we are keen to know the applications where your compounds are extensively used.
NS: For wire and cable industries, we are having a wide range. There is an extensive usage in many applications; PVC compounds for building wire, control and instrumentation cables; PVC compound FR & Oil resistant for hydro carbon industry; PVC compound for auto cables; sioplas for Insulation of low and medium voltage power cable industry; Specially designed sioplas compound for control and instrumentation cables. XLPE Insulations is used extensively for Insulation of power cables up to 66 KV. Our WTR grade is extensively used for making water tree retardant XLPE cables. The semiconducting grades are used for medium voltage and high voltage power cable application. Besides the halogen free flame retardant grades are being used for building wire as well as specialized applications such as cables for Airport, stadiums, auditorium, etc. Polyethylene based jacketing are extensively used for jacketing of cables for medium to extra high voltage.
Our product range includes PVC compound for power cables, flexible cables and building wires. The XPE compounds include sioplas for low and medium voltage; XLPE for 66 KV includes products such as TR XLPE. We are also offering semi conductive grades as well as halogen free retardant grades materials.
WCI: Compounding remains one of the most dynamic segments wherein it does not take much time for a compound to become obsolete. What do you do to stay relevant in this fast changing demand scenario regarding polymers and compounds?
NS: Compounding is extremely challenging business due to introduction and adoption of new raw material, manufacturing techniques as well as change in user industry specification. These changes keep throwing new challenges at us, regularly. A strong R&D orientation turns this challenge into great opportunity for us. Our extensive R&D facilities along with leading R&D personnel in the cable field help us to maintain our edge. Our team is continuously working on challenging products with cable manufacturers.
Continuous upgradation of our R&D facilities and tie up with specialty raw material suppliers keeps us updated of latest trends. The recent (2016) investment in our new R&D centre in Surangi (Odisha) ensured us to stay ahead of demand. I have a sense of satisfaction that we will stay prepared in advance for any sort of emerging demand for a product.
WCI: Most of the compounding industry keeps facing the heat of environmental regulations. How does Kkalpana perform or strive to perform on these environmental fronts?
NS: KKalpana has always been an extremely responsible producer and sensitive to preservation of environment. Most of our products are not releasing any effluent or byproduct requiring effluent treatment. We are having a well defined policy with regard to disposal of our byproducts keeping in mind safety and upkeep of environmental aspects. We made huge investments in maintaining ecosystem around our manufacturing facilities and specially in water harvesting.
WCI: Any new development on product and process front?
NS: In the last 2 years, we have come up with many new developments. There are many achievements in our kitty. We have successfully developed insulation compounds for 66 KV applications. We have also developed WTR XLPE. Also, track resistant insulation and jacketing have been recently developed and launched commercially. Strippable compound for Sioplas application is developed and commercialized in the last one year. On the process front, we have upgraded manufacturing XLPE insulation compound. We have moved towards peroxide soaking / absorption process instead of conventional process of peroxide injection. This process adoption has been a great success. Today, we are one of the few leading players globally to follow this process.
Apart from our success in field for cable related products we have been able to successfully launch engineering plastic compounds in Daman in 2017 to take care of growing demand in consumer durable, automobiles and white goods sectors. KKalpana products are very well accepted in the market already and we are sure to attain resounding success in this venture as well.