Business
Boss gets patent for 3D ceramics
By R. Chandrakanth
BANGALORE
FEB. 11.
For the first time ever in the Indian ceramic industry, a start-up company has got world patented technology for its three dimensional architectural ceramics which will hit the market in end-February.
The unique technology makes it possible to produce ceramic products of any shape and profile to suit any application, a facility not now available with any domestic manufacturer. The patent is held by Pondicherry based company, Boss Profiles Limited, which has made an investment of Rs. 62 crores with an installed capacity of 15 lakh sq. metres per annum.
The Managing Director of Boss, S. Ghosh, told The Hindu that the patent certificate from PCT, Brussels, had been obtained and the novelty of the technology had been endorsed in 98 countries.
The patent will be in force for 15 years. With this a new dimension in the ceramic industry would be opening up, now available with natural stones, that of variety in size and shape. The company can devise a fully vitrified ceramic kitchen slab of 1.5 metres.
Considering this research and development effort of the company, the world's major ceramic machinery manufacturer, Sacmi of Italy, had entered into a technical collaboration with 21 per cent equity holding (Rs. 4.65 crores). Besides, Sacmi has taken Rs. 7 crore preferential shares at 9 per cent coupon rate and New India Assurance Company has picked up Rs. 75 lakhs at 15 per cent coupon rate. Boss, thus becomes the first foreign direct investment project in the ceramic industry. CanBank Venture capital has invested Rs. 1.50 crores in the equity and the company has a term loan of Rs. 32.90 crores from Bank of India consortium.
Mr. Ghosh said the premium products had already attracted two international ceramic product manufacturers — Elba Ceramiche Pontifossa, Italy, and TICSA Ceramica and Ceramicas Calaf, Spain — for a firm buy-back of five lakh sq. metres annually. Exports should take place in March. It had established its first overseas office in UAE to meet the demand of Middle East and African countries and would soon set up offices in Singapore, Italy and the U.S. And the present order book was Rs. 25 crores, coming from the domestic sector, he said and mentioned that the company would export 60 per cent of its operating capacity of 12 lakh sq. metres.
Exuding confidence that the market for this new technology would open up, Mr. Ghosh said the company had already chalked out expansion plans. It would be investing another Rs. 30 crores in 2003-04 to take the installed capacity to 25 lakh sq. metres and a total investment of Rs. 300 crores by 2005-06 with an installed capacity of 67.5 lakh sq. metres. The company estimated a low breakeven at 43 per cent of its installed capacity, he added.
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