Kirloskar Bros to assemble pumps in Egypt

Kirloskar Brothers Ltd (KBL) is setting up a new facility in Egypt, one of its biggest overseas markets, to assemble as well as refurbish pumps.

It will go on stream in March.

The company is also in the process of acquiring a valve manufacturing company in South Africa over the next six months, and plans to consolidate all its operations here at a single location.

Both these initiatives are being undertaken by KBL's Amsterdam-based, wholly owned subsidiary Kirloskar Brothers International B V.

Elaborating on their plans for Egypt, Mr J.V. Sapre, Director, KBL, said that the new assembling unit as well as refurbishing centre will be based at an existing facility that KBL has rented. It will cater to both, business in Egypt as well as the surrounding areas.

“With over 3,000 pumping stations, the refurbishing business may be larger,” he added.

In South Africa, KBL is present through two subsidiaries, Braybar Pumps in which it acquired 90 per cent stake two years ago, and SPP Pumps UK (acquired in 2003).

“We want to move both these into the premises of the new valve company that we will be buying out as this will ease our operations,” Mr Sapre said.

Another geography that KBL is looking for a presence in is in Latin America. “Two years ago, an initiative in Argentina did not work out. Now we are looking for a strategic partner in Brazil,” says Mr Sapre, adding that feasibility studies for this are currently under way.

On the domestic front, KBL's seventh manufacturing plant at Sanand will go into commercial production in a month's time.

Built with an investment of Rs 45 crore, the plant will make submersible pumps.

“The installed capacity is 500 pumps per day in single shift operations,” Mr Sapre says, adding that the company expects revenue from Sanand to touch Rs 350 crore through three-shift operations in three years' time.

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