OCTOBER, 20249Diversified PSU Balmer Lawrie & Co has outlined a capital expenditure plan of Rs 700 crore with the goal of achieving revenues of Rs 6,000 crore by 2030, according to Chairman and Managing Director Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri. The company aims to diversify its operations, including entering ethanol production, establishing a free trade warehousing zone (FTWZ) in Mumbai, and upgrading its facilities.Palchaudhuri revealed that the company has earmarked Rs 330 crore for ethanol production using rice and maize as feedstock, and Rs 220 crore for the FTWZ, which will function similarly to a special economic zone (SEZ). Additionally, Rs 45 crore will be allocated for setting up a third-party logistics hub in Dankuni, West Bengal.The CMD emphasized the company's potential for achieving the Rs 6,000 crore revenue target, citing its leadership position in industrial packaging and growth opportunities in sectors such as grease, lubricants, travel, and logistics. Currently, the company generates Rs 2,400 crore in revenue across various businesses.Balmer Lawrie is also in the process of hiring a consultant to create a comprehensive growth plan and is open to exploring inorganic opportunities for expansion if necessary. However, the company is not considering asset monetization, focusing instead on enhancing its efficiency and utilization. Tata Electronics, a subsidiary of Tata Sons, has finalized a Definitive Agreement with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) of Taiwan. According to the agreement, PSMC will provide design and construction support for India's first AI-enabled greenfield semiconductor Fab in Gujarat while licensing a broad technology portfolio and offering engineering support to transfer these licensed technologies to the Gujarat Fab.The Fab will have a manufacturing capacity of up to 50,000 wafers per month, incorporating factory automation with data analytics and machine learning to achieve optimal efficiency. It will produce chips for power management ICs, display drivers, microcontrollers (MCU), and high-performance computing logic, catering to sectors such as AI, automotive, computing, data storage, and wireless communication.This agreement will bring cutting-edge semiconductor technologies and advanced talent to India, fostering the development of a local semiconductor ecosystem. With an investment of INR 91,000 crores (~US$11bn), the project is set to create over 20,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs, and Tata Group's multi-fab vision for Dholera could generate more than 100,000 jobs in the future.N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, called the collaboration a key milestone that will drive innovation, support global semiconductor supply chains, and help India serve both domestic and global customers. TOP STORIESBALMER LAWRIE & CO. OUTLINES PLAN FOR VENTURING INTO ETHANOL PRODUCTIONTATA ELECTRONICS MAKES HEADWAY INTO SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
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