CUMI eyes $10 million new sales from Africa plant

Carborundum Universal Ltd (CUMI), part of the Murugappa Group, is expecting its South African plant to increase its sales by $10-million sales with the addition of new capacity.

The group had invested around 115 million Rand (Rs 63.6 crore at current currency rates) to hike capacity at the Bubble Zirconia plant to 5,000-tonne from last year's 500-tonne. The plant produces electro minerals used in various applications in refractories for possessing thermal shock resistance.

K Srinivasan, managing director of Carborundum Universal Ltd, recently told analysts the Bubble Zirconia plant had been a big challenge for them as the production remained less than 500 tonne for the entire last year despite seeing an investment of 115 million Rand. "It took far more effort and time than what we thought it would be," he said.