The Hindu Business Line : Tata Steel tube unit plans modernisation

THE Tubes SBU (Special Business Unit) of Tata Steel, which is the largest manufacturer of tubes in the country with an annual production capacity of 2 lakh tonnes, held a retailers meet here to commemorate 50 years of Indian tube-making where dealers from across the State attended.

The road ahead appears even more challenging and exciting with new initiatives on the anvil. These include modernisation of plants, expansion of capacity, new approaches to channel management and development of new business and product lines, according to a Tata Steel press release after the dealers meet held here.

Tata Pipes, which is part of the Tubes SBU, is a market leader with applications of tubes ranging from plumbing, irrigation to cold storages as also in closed structural applications both rectangular and square hollow sections.

The company, which launched a new brand campaign to celebrate the 50 years of Indian tube making, seeks to bring higher visibility in the target markets.

With `Janjhat Free' or trouble free punch line, the Tata Pipes SBU brand campaign seeks to build a communication strategy.

This is presented through an animation idea bringing to the fore the product advantages.

From the time the first continuous weld machine was commissioned in the year 1955, to the year 2004, when the tubes SBU is celebrating 50 years of tube making, the transition to becoming the largest maker is carefully crafted.

Tata Tubes manufactures tubes through the Fretz Moon process, which gives a highly differentiated product for utility in the plumbing and irrigation segments.