JHS targets 50 per cent growth in export

Kolkata, Sept 19: JHS Svendgaard Laboratories Limited, one of the largest producers of total dental care,has targetted to increase its export performance by 50 per cent to Rs 450 crores this year after fully implementing its expansion programme.

This was announced here today by JHSSLL Managing Director Nikhil Nanda while speaking to newsmen about his plan to enter the capital market next week with a public issue to raise necessary funds for his targetted plan.Last year JHSSLL had exported to the tune of Rs 300 crores.

Stating that though at present JHSSLL supplied its products, including tooth pastes and tooth brushes, to a number of countries in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East besides the USA, from this year they were planning to make forays into South East Asia, particularly China and Japan and the Philippines besides Africa to widen the company's portfolios.

Moreover, JHSSLL had decided to penetrate further into the American market with a wide range of diverasified products that included gum care and different variants of mouth wash, Mr Nanda informed.

Referring to his expansion plan,he said JHSSLL had recently acquired 15 acres of land in Simoli district of Himachal Pradesh where they planned to set up their third production unit at a cost of Rs 52 crores. When completed by next year the new plant would cater to the expanding export market, Mr Nanda informed.

He said in the wake of greater awareness among the people,even in rural India,about the utility of gum protection, the Indian dental care business was expanding at the rate of over 25 per cent per annum. However,in terms of growth in the export arena it varied between five and eight per cent.

To a query about his plan for capacity expansion,he said, in the post issue scenario, the production capacity of JHSSLL was poised to grow by at lest 20 per cent from the present 40 million units of tooth brushes, 450 tonnes of toothpastes and 40,000 gallons of mouth wash variants.

He, however, ruled out having any plan to opt for tie ups with any foreign collaborator in terms of technology upgradation of JHSSLL products. "Our own research and developmwnt teams were capable of handling the situation towards maintaininig international quality standards." Incidentally, the JHSSLL public issue would be open for subscription for a week from Spetember 26.

UNI