UK, India collaborate to improve road safety

British company Hitex International Group and Indian company Trans Metalite India Ltd are working together to offer road maintenance, safety and marking solutions for the Indian market.

The British High Commission celebrated the launch of a partnership between Hitex International Group and Trans Metalite India Ltd at a reception here yesterday.

The two companies have set-up a manufacturing plant at Bawal in Haryana, where they will continue their work to address the challenges of road repair and maintenance in India with a view to developing solutions to tackle these challenges. This includes arresting cracks and potholes, developing anti-skid treatments, and extra-bright and longer-lasting retro-reflective road markings.

"This partnership between the British company and Indian company celebrates the spirit of great for Collaboration and Make in India, an exciting new campaign that inspires new partnerships and highlights the scale of the UK's commitment to India. We are glad that the UK can use its expertise to provide solutions for road maintenance in India," said Anthony Cooper, First Secretary, Trade and Investment, India.

Finn Goff, Group Commercial Director, Hitex International Group said, "Hitex International Group are very proud to be launching our newest Joint Venture, Metalite Hitex Group this evening. It was October 2013 when I first visited India and in the preceding two years we have gained invaluable knowledge regarding the unique and often complex difficulties facing the Indian infrastructure network."

"Very early it became apparent that the greatest chance of success lay in developing an Indian solution to an Indian problem. Forcing a product or system of working from Europe into the Indian market and infrastructure network was doomed to fail. To that end we sought a partner here in India that could enable this to happen and were very lucky to begin working with Trans Metalite India," he added.

Goff further said that their combined vision is to deliver high quality solutions and innovative road surfacing systems to the Indian highways construction and maintenance industries.

"We do not see this as the end of the process and hard work but merely the beginning and very much look forward to working in conjunction with Trans Metalite for many years to come," he said.

"In line with the vision of our Founder Mr.Vishwambhar Jalan, Metalite took a decision about a couple of decades back to introduce new technologies into the country, which would help mankind, and through sustainable development contribute to reducing the carbon footprint as well," said Vikas Jalan, Managing Director, Trans Metalite India Limited

"At the time when there was massive construction initiated in the roads and highway sector, we decided to get new processes, equipments and materials to enhance the effective life of the road surface with minimal intervention, thus reducing the lifecycle cost substantially. To this end, we kept on introducing small safety and guidance products. Eventually, after having mega success in Delhi and Jaipur, with preventive maintenance of roads, we met Hitex," Jalan added.

Jalan further said that they are glad to partner with Hitex International, as they see the synergy between the companies with the complementary services that could jointly offer the roads sector.