The Hindu : Kerala News : Keltron companies register 14 per cent production growth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 22, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Keltron companies register 14 per cent production growth

By Our Staff Reporter

KANNUR, APRIL 21. Keltron Component Complex Ltd. (KCCL) here and the four subsidiary companies under the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (KSEDC) recorded an overall 14 per cent growth in production during 2003-04, despite the dwindling production of indigenous passive electronics components and a drop in their prices, according to the KSEDC chairman, V. Ramkumar.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr. Ramkumar said the KCCL, which claimed 13 per cent of the national market share of the 1,500 million aluminum electrolytic capacitors in the country during 2003-04, registered a production of an all-time high of 204.5 million capacitors as against the 178.8 million during the previous year. The turnover of the company showed a marginal increase of 3 per cent despite the average price fall of nearly 8 per cent during the year.

He said the KCCL had netted a Rs. 31.08-crore turnover as against Rs. 30.14 crores last year. The company was estimated to have closed the fiscal on a breakeven after contributing about Rs. 6.2 crores to the exchequer.

Mr. Ramkumar said the component manufacturing companies of Keltron, with a total investment of Rs. 32 crores, netted Rs. 30.21 crores as against Rs. 38.72 crores last year. The cumulative contribution of the companies to the exchequer was around Rs. 100 crores.

Keltron Magnetics Ltd. (KML) here, manufacturing polyester film capacitors, improved its performance by 15 per cent, registering a turnover of Rs. 2.95 crores during 2003-04 as against Rs. 2.57 crores during the previous year. Keltron Crystals Ltd. (KXL), manufacturing piezo electric crystals and lead tabs, registered a turnover of Rs. 1.09 crores as against Rs. 85.32 lakhs during the previous year. The growth was 27 per cent. The Keltron Resistors, which netted Rs. 1 crore during the current year as against Rs. 1.55 crores last year, conceded a negative growth of 35 per cent in terms of turnover on account of the 50 per cent price fall in the market and 30 per cent increase in the input cost.

Mr. Ramkumar said Keltorn Electro Ceramics Ltd. (KECL), Kuttippuram, succumbed to the market pressures in terms of turnover, which was reduced by 11 per cent at Rs. 3.4 crores, registering a nominal profit.

As part of entering into new segments, the KCCL was now planning to manufacture high temperature class and long-life capacitors in the automobile segment, the chairman said. The KECL had already diversified into NTC thermistors, metal oxide varistors, buzzers, electronic flashers and surge protectors, he said adding the company had also developed transducers. The company was also entering into the development of hydrophones for the ONGC, he said.

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