Exporting to a plan: Deepak Nitrite exports cross Rs 100 crore

Usha Somayaji
11 May 2004

Such growth has been the result of a planned strategy by the company. “It was born out of a process of deep thinking, strategy and planning,” said managing director Deepak Mehta, announcing the achievement.

The planning began as far back as the early ’90s, when the company, foreseeing the threats coming from a dismantled duty regime, went about implementing strategies that would convert these threats into opportunities.

The strategy was to build on its strengths in niche areas of the chemicals market, bring it up to global levels, and work towards a leadership position in that area.

A key advantage that Deepak Nitrite has is its R&D base. “About 80 per cent of our products have been the result of R&D efforts,” said Mehta. “Our differentiator was our ability to develop customised products based on our R&D and operation expertise.”

The company, which began with two import substitutes — sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate — in 1970, today has a line-up of over 30 products in the inorganic, organic intermediates and fine and speciality chemicals — basic intermediates to the pharmaceutical, agro chemical, rubber, pigment and imaging chemicals industries, most of which have come out or been fine tuned by its in-house R&D.

“Today the focus is not on import substitution or self sufficiency, but delivering value proposition on a global scale,” says Mehta.