Eveready to set up facilities in NE to augment production

Kolkata, Jul 21 (UNI) Williamson major group flagship company Eveready Industries India Limited (EIIL) may set up facilities in the North East to augment battery production capacity in future.

Speaking to mediapersons at the 71st Annual General Meeting here today, Wholetime Director of the company S Saha said since the group had a big presence in the North East region, there was a possibility of Eveready putting up plants in the region, which would also help the company to avail fiscal benefits.

In May 2007, Eveready would commission its Uttaranchal plant built at a cost of Rs 70 crore.

On commissioning of the plant, annual production of batteries would go up from 1.6 billion to two billion, Mr Saha said.

Eveready is also planning to unlock value by relocating facilities from prime locations to elsewhere. He said the company's existing plants at Chennai, Hyderabad and Noida, situated in prime locations, would be relocated to some other places.

During 2005-06, the company relocated its Guindy plant in Chennai for which Eveready realised Rs 100 crore.

Mr Saha said the plants would be relocated to less congested places in nearby regions.

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