A V Birla group product portfolio - 2

Ferro alloys
The AV Birla group company, Essel Mining and Industries, produces ferro-alloys such as ferro- molybdenum and ferro-vanadium at its plant in Vapi in Gujarat. In operation since 1980, this division of Essel Mining sells its products to major steel plants and foundries. The division began making ferro-titanium in 1998-99.

Fertilisers
The A V Birla group entered the fertilisers industry in 1983 with the creation of Indo-Gulf Corporation. Indo-Gulf's urea plant, which became operational in 1988, has an annual capacity of 7.67 lakh tpa. The company has a collaboration with Haldor Topsoe AS of Denmark for manufacture of ammonia, and with Snamprogetti of Italy for urea.

Indo-Gulf's urea brand is 'Shaktiman Plus'.

Fibres
The AV Birla group is the world's largest producer of viscose staple fibre, with a total capacity of over 3 lakh tpa in three countries. The group pioneered VSF production in India in 1954 with the commissioning of a 5,500 tpa plant at Nagda in Madhya Pradesh. In 1968 its second VSF plant went on stream at Mavoor in Kerala. Six years later, the group ventured abroad to build a plant in Thailand whose capacity is now 67,000 tpa. In 1977, its fourth plant was built at Harihar in Karnataka, and in 1982 the group commenced VSF production in Indonesia. The group is building its sixth VSF plant at Kharach on the western coast of India, where the 30,000 tpa first phase has already been commissioned, and work on the second phase is at an advanced stage.

The group has built its VSF business with indigenous resources, technology and equipment. Its Grasim Industries is a world leader in VSF and the repository of the group's technical know-how in VSF.

The group leads in the VSF business in all three countries - Thailand, Indonesia and India - in which it operates. The group's units also make spun dyed VSF and speciality fibres. All its units export fibre. Destinations include the US, South Korea, Australia, Philippines, China, Mexico, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.