• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

`HLL opens detergent facility at Haldia

Nilanjan Dey

HALDIA, Oct. 13

CONSUMER goods major Hindustan Lever Ltd is flagging off seven new manufacturing units this year and expects the detergent plant just set up in Haldia to add substantially to its production base.

"Nowhere has a detergent plant of such capacity been put up in eight and a half months," said Mr M.S. Banga, Chairman of HLL, at a function to inaugurate the detergent unit here.

The 30,000 tpa unit is HLL's fourth facility at Haldia, the port town which has been associated with HLL since 1979. Mr Banga said the company would continue to invest more capital in such units with a view to developing the market and cater to a more di scerning set of consumers.

He also listed four key concerns for the company, namely, a safe working atmosphere, improvement of the environment through non-polluting production systems, ensuring competitiveness with an eye to improving quality, and finding ways to reduce costs.

"Our collective long-term future depends on these factors", he said.

Inaugurating the detergent factory, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, said that the unit would create indirect employment for about 3,000 people and help develop the infrastructure in Haldia. He laid stress on the improvement of facilities such as roads and power.

The priorities for West Bengal were agro-industries, information technology, chemicals and traditional sectors such as leather and handloom, he added.