Coimbatore-based CRI Pumps has ventured into manufacturing of high quality pipes with an investment of ₹120 crore.

CRI Pipes, the newly formed subsidiary of CRI Pumps, has set up two plants — one in Gandhinagar in Gujarat and the other in Hosur in Tamil Nadu — with a capacity of 7,500 tonnes each to make uPVC (unplasticised poly vinyl chloride) and CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) pipes.

G Soundarajan, Vice-Chairman, CRI Pumps, said the plants were part of the company’s diversification plan to achieve a sales turnover of ₹5,000 crore by 2020 from the current ₹1,300 crore.

“The Gandhinagar plant, which has commenced production, will tap into the western and northern markets. The Hosur unit that will start production in four months will target the southern and eastern markets,” he said in a press conference here on Monday.

As part of diversification, the company intends to bring in an Italian technology to treat and handle sewage in India over the next four months.

“We have plans to set up another plant in the eastern part of India to take the overall capacity to one lakh tonnes. We have set a mission to provide one-stop fluid management solution,” Soundarajan said.

CRI Pipes intends to capture a market share of 10 per cent with the current manufacturing capacity. The uPVC and CPVC pipes market is growing at 15 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively. The non-metallic pipes market is estimated at about ₹21,500 crore, with uPVC and CPVC pipes alone accounting for ₹9,000 crore.

uPVC pipes, which have higher tensile strength, are used in plumbing, sewage and drainage, and has a life span of 25 years. CPVC pipes are used for hot and cold water applications as well as high pressure applications.

The company has also developed a patented polymer bonded thread sink locking system for column pipes. The unique locking system is used as a pipe coupler to join pipes and avoid leakages.

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