Vendor Watch

Schott manufactures Fiolax in India

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Schott has invested Rs 40 crore in a glass melting plant in Jambusar near Baroda. The company will use this plant to manufacture it's globally popular superior quality brand Fiolax tubings. The plant, with a capacity to manufacture 20 tonnes per day, has become the only Fiolax manufacturing site in Asia. Schott has exported over 80 percent of the Fiolax production to US, Europe and other Asian markets since commissioning of the plant in January 2007. The company hopes to post a total turnover of about Rs 75 crore for the 12 months ending September 30, 2007, from a turnover of Rs 40 crore during the corresponding previous year, with the commissioning of the third tank.

Schott, already controls a major share of the Indian market for neutral pharma tubings, since its entry into India in 1998 by acquiring Bharat Glass of Baroda. It is the only manufacturer of amber neutral tubings and controls about 70 percent market share for clear tubings for pharmaceutical applications. The company has two furnace plants in Baroda, each with a capacity of 10 tonnes per day to manufacture neutral glasses tubing to manufacture ampoules and vials. "Globally, the trend is towards injectable products and the demand for glass packaging is set to grow in future. Vaccination is gaining more prominence in countries like India and global trend like shifting towards pre-filled syringes will increase demand for glass packaging. In India, the pharmaceutical industry is still fragmented and will evolve in the coming few years," says Mohan Joshi, President, Schott Glass India.