Balaji Wafers aims to invest Rs 50cr (10 million USD) to expand capacity

Balaji Wafers plans capacity expansion of its production unit at Valsad in South Gujarat at the cost of Rs 50 crore (about 10 million USD). Besides, the company is planning to invest Rs 25 crore (about 5 million USD) for launch of new range of products including corn chips.

“The company has two wafer and snacks manufacturing facilities in Rajkot. Apart from that we have set up a production unit at Valsad with a capacity of 22 tonne wafers an hour. The company is planning to increase the production capacity of wafers and other snack products,” says Chandubhai Virani, Managing Director, Balaji Wafers Pvt. Ltd. 

“The Valsad unit that produces potato chips at present would also manufacture snack products with capacity of almost 12 tonnes an hour, which would take the production capacity of the plant to 24 tonnes an hour. The company aims to invest Rs 50 crore (about 10 million USD) for capacity expansion,” added Virani.

The company claims to enjoy a 70 per cent market share in Gujarat while it has 10, 15 and 5 per cent share in Rajsthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh respectively. To cater the growing demand in Maharashtra, the company has set up a plant in Valsad with an investment of Rs 100 crore (about 20 million USD).

While commenting on the Valsad plant, Virani added that the production capacity of some of the multinational companies is 18 tonnes an hour, while the Valsad facility produces 22 tonne wafers an hour.

“With an aim to introduce new food products in line with changing lifestyle, the company is going to launch corn chips. We would invest Rs 5 crore (1 million USD) to launch the product,” says Virani.