By Plasteurope.com staff

With its first PET production facility, Indian packaging film manufacturer Uflex (Noida, Uttar Pradesh; www.uflexltd.com) is not only aiming for backward integration, but is also laying the groundwork for further expansion of film production to 1 mn t/y. The company opened its first PET granulate production facility in Panipat, Haryana, India, at the beginning of April. The production of BOPET films at the company’s main plant near Noida is to be supplied from the Panipat facility. According to the company, further PET production has been planned, including one at the Egyptian petrochemical site of Ain Sokhna.

Uflex, led by Ashok Chaturvedi, has also increased film production at its Russian plant south of Moscow by 18,000 t/y. With the polypropylene cast (CPP) film line, the company said it is also expanding its product range, which previously consisted of 30,000 t/y of BOPET film and metallisation. 

Related: Global capacity of BOPET films to exceed 10 mn t/y

In 2023, Uflex had expanded its film production in south-west India and Dubai by a total of 81,000 t/y. The first plant for PCR recyclates from PET bottles was added in Mexico. Uflex now has film capacity for 609,000 t/y of PET and PP film worldwide, with PET film accounting for the lion’s share at 395,000 t/y. Additionally, packaging production amounts to 100,000 t/y. In Europe, the Indian company is represented by film plants in Hungary (BOPP) and Poland (BOPET). 

For the 2022-23 financial year (31 March), the company reported an 11% increase in turnover to INR 147.8 bn (EUR 1.66 bn) compared with the previous year, with a total sales volume of just under 590,000 t. However, EBITDA and net profit fell significantly, by 9% to INR 20.8 bn and 56% to INR 4.8 bn, respectively.

— Translated by Somya Abrol