With its already proven expertise in making synthetic ropes and nets, the company is now entering the segment of nonwovens with the application of latest technologies
Tufropes, a manufacturer of synthetic ropes and nets, was established in 1992 by Arun Goel, a first-generation entrepreneur. Today, it is a leading manufacturer and exporter placed among the top five companies in this segment. Backed by 29 years’ experience, five manufacturing sites and over 2,000 employees, Tufropes is a trusted partner for rope and netting products in numerous sectors such as marine, aquaculture, industrial, safety, sports, retail, defence and logistics. To serve its growing global customer base, it follows a multi-location manufacturing model with three plants in India and one in Vietnam.
The annual capacity is approximately 45,000 tonnes of ropes, twines and netting products. Its products are approved in 84+ countries with major market presence in USA, Europe and Asia. As part of its expansion project, the company is now foraying into the nonwoven business with a state-of-the-art spun lace line. The technology comprises several segments with a majority of it being sourced from Truztscheler, Germany. The end product of this line will be the base fibre for all kinds of wipes used in various industries from hygiene to industrial products.
“At Tufropes we always focus on continuous product development in collaboration with our global business partners. Our highly skilled team is driven by innovation, quality and speed. With this approach we have created a win-win situation for our business partners and are acknowledged as a trailblazer in our industry. Also, our plants are well-equipped, monitored and certified by leading auditing agencies. We treat our environment with utmost respect and consider its protection our responsibility. We are proud to share that our manufacturing units are ISO 14001:2015-certified,” says Madhav Goel, Director, Tufropes.
The Pandemic Impact
With complete lockdown on account of the pandemic, restrictions on movement, new regulations on import and export, etc. almost all businesses in the world felt the heat of an economic slowdown. The team at Tufropes adopted a crisis opportunity planning model and a dedicated task force was commissioned to sensitise the staff about the corona virus in early March 2020 and to manage the loss of demand during the lockdown time. “With this we could report better than projected numbers post the lockdown. Also, special incentives extended by the government cushioned us from a major impact on our business,” Madhav Goel states.
During the height of the pandemic the company’s research and development team rigorously worked on developing new products for varied applications. “We are all now geared up to launch new products which will support in gaining more business across various verticals. This research focused on areas like HMPE and aromatic polyamide fibres,” Madhav Goel informs. Meanwhile, Tufropes is ready to take advantage of any scheme the government launches. “Our future expansion plans will depend a lot on what kind of PLI the government sanctions for the textile industry and our new foray into the nonwoven industry is testament to that,” he added.
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Road Ahead
While there is no plan for an IPO in the short or medium term, Tufropes, according to its management, will continue to grow organically and will also be open to any opportunities that come along inorganically. “We are foraying into a brand new nonwoven vertical which we consider a sunrise sector as the uses and applications of this field are ever-evolving. In addition, the domestic market is just getting a taste and feel of these products, the use of which has accelerated due to the spread of the virus, and we see this helping our ambition of growing in this field in time to come,” Madhav Goel says.