Til In Alliance For Container Handling Gadgets

The pact, to make "reach stackers", a key material handling equipment, was finalised last month and has been approved by the government.

"The plant for manufacturing reach stackers will be in Calcutta, and the company is looking for a suitable location," said managing director Sumit Mazumdar to Business Standard. The technology will be provided by Luna and should Luna upgrade its technology, it will have to pass it down to TIL, according to the pact. In return for this, Luna will enjoy a royalty from TIL for every unit sold. Besides, TIL also had to pay a front-end fee to Luna at the time of signing the agreement. But this payment can be made in installments over a period of 7 years.

This comes under the company's four-year expansion plan worth Rs 80 crore.

Of the total sum, Rs 60 crore will come from term loans, issues and private placements. TIL is also considering off-shore loans, said Mazumdar.

It has a tie-up with the Boss group of UK for the manufacture of fork-lift trucks. The plant, which is at Sahibabad, is expected to commence production from early November.

"In the current fiscal, we shall be rolling out 40 trucks. Next year, it shall be between 125 to 150 trucks," the managing director said. Besides, it will launch 8 more models of grove cranes this year, of them 3 have already been launched. The 20 tonne-model was launched this April, the 30-tonne model in May and the 75-tonne one in September.

The 45 and 40 tonne models are to be launched in November, the 55-tonne model is to be launched between December and January along with the 40 and 30-tonne truck-crane.