Anil Printers to set up SIM card mfg unit

To invest Rs 80 crore for the Nashik plant.

Nashik-based fast growing security printer company, Anil Printers Ltd (APL), has diversified into mobile SIM cards business by setting up a new division - 'Smarftech'.

The company is setting up a new SIM cards manufacturing facility near Nashik at an investment of close to Rs 80 crore.

This new proposed facility, which is located at Gonde, 25 kms from Nashik, is expected to start commercial operation by October 2008.

Anil Printers, an RBI approved printer and among the top security printers in the country, manufactures pre-paid scratch cards, pin mailers, airline tickets, cargo bills, cheque-books, carbon-less stationery for the telecommunications, banking, courier and logistic industries at its facility located in Ambad areas of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation(MIDC) in Nashik.

Speaking to Business Standard, Akash Agarwal, director, APL, said, "We have diversified into mobile SIM card business. We are setting up a new SIM cards manufacturing facility at Gonde, near Nashik. The construction of this new facility has almost completed and it is expected to start commercial operation by October 2008. The company's total investment in this new unit will be close to Rs 80 crore."

The new proposed facility at Gonde, which is spread over 7.5 acres with a built-up area of 1 lakh sqft, will manufacture SIM cards, credit cards and RFID labels.

Initially, the manufacturing capacity of this plant will be 30 million SIM cards and credit cards per annum and around 50 million RFID labels per annum.

With the commissioning of its new plant by October 2008, APL aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 50 crore in the current financial year 2008-09 and eyes Rs 100 crore in the next fiscal.