“Taprath plans to grow multiple folds in the next decade as far as capacities and market reach is concerned for TapBeam and TapStar.”
Taprath is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of products based on synthetic elastomers. The company specialises in NBR & SBR powders, rubber compounds, and thermoplastic compounds. Wire & Cable India recently interviewed Mr. Abhishek Rathi, Founder and Director, Taprath Elastomers LLP, wherein he dives into the product range of the company and reveals its expansion plans.
Wire & Cable India: Kindly brief us about your business journey and product portfolio
Abhishek Rathi: Taprath is part of the Rathi conglomerate. In the 1980s, we set up two plants near Mumbai to manufacture speciality chemicals having applications in welding electrodes, synthetic adhesives, and textile finishing.
The group later ventured into the field of micronized minerals to manufacture activated manganese dioxide powders (A.M.D.), fused as well as agglomerated Submerged Arc Welding flux (S.A.W.) for automatic and continuous welding of LPG cylinders, pipes, pressure vessels, and automobile joints. Today, the group has its presence as manufacturers in industries ranging from metals to herbal healthcare.
Taprath, since its inception in 2003, has been the largest manufacturer of speciality elastomer powders in India to date offering monopoly import substitutes. Later, Taprath ventured into compounding with its state-of-the-art facility in the outskirts of Mumbai offering a wide range of additive masterbatches and ready-to-use compounds for wire & cables as well as compostable packaging applications.
WCI: What proportion of your product range is dedicated to the wire and cable segment?
AR: Taprath has a few product verticals having their use in the wire and cable business:
- Elastomer Powders
- Functional Additive Masterbatches
- Radiation Cross-linkable Compounds
These constitute one of our most widely serviced applications (wire & cable) as far as the products are concerned and are a close second to automotive.
WCI: Tell us some of the products along with their USPs.
AR: Tapryl Elastomer Powders: Used for modification of PVC as well as other synthetic rubbers to meet key oil and abrasion resistance specifications. For PVC, it acts as a permanent plasticizer, offering higher longevity to the cable along with a rubberized feel.
TapStar Functional Additive Masterbatches: We offer masterbatches for UV resistance, rodent, and termite repellency, and anti-microbial properties. We also offer a unique product for HFFR/ LSZH and XLPE cables that completely prevent the dripping of sheathing compounds during the critical fire testing as per UL 94 (V1 and V0).
TapBeam E-Beam Cross-linkable Compounds: Ready compounds for insulation and sheathing applications in automotive, railway, solar industries. These are electron beam cross-linkable compounds and Taprath is the first one to offer Made-in-India products in these applications.
WCI: Outline the new product developments in your company.
AR: To name a few, we are working on offering radiation cross-linkable compounds for applications including defence and navy soon. We are also developing process aid additives for cable manufacturers and flame retardant masterbatches.
“Be it power or communication, India itself is a big user of cables because of the infrastructural growth currently happening here.”
WCI: Tell us the current market presence and expansion plans – both domestically and internationally.
AR: Taprath’s presence in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East through channel partners enables us to identify and respond swiftly to new trends and opportunities. Internationally, we are now promoting our entire range through our partners and also associating with new channels for new applications.
Domestically, we are doing great and are constantly trying to widen our reach. Taprath plans to grow multiple folds in the next decade as far as capacities and market reach is concerned for TapBeam and TapStar. Tapryl is already a known name in the industry and we are striving harder each day to continue the same.
“Taprath’s presence in the niche market of radiation cross-linkable compounds gives an edge over the commodity cable compound manufacturers in the country.”
WCI: How do you view the wire and cable industry and the market potential of cable compounds? What are the recent trends?
AR: Be it power or communication, India itself is a big user of cables because of the infrastructural growth currently happening here. This 50000 crore industry has been seeing growth year after year. Big Indian cable companies also export large quantities of cables to other parts of the world. The requirements for compounds are directly proportional to the cable requirement. Taprath’s presence in the niche market of radiation cross-linkable compounds gives an edge over the commodity cable compound manufacturers in the country. The various other speciality masterbatches also face very little competition in the market.
