Norstar and M-Plast reach Indian rotomolding pact

Expanding its reach into a growing Indian market, cast-aluminum rotational mold manufacturer Norstar International LLC (Princeton, NJ) has established a partnership with Indian rotomolding machine manufacturer M-Plast India Ltd. (Noida, India), licensing its tooling technology to the company. Norstar, which has two manufacturing sites in the U.S. and licensees in Mexico and Germany, is hoping to grow with an expanding rotational molding market in India, where, to now, the primary product has been simple water tanks for residential use.

In a press release, Rajendra P. Shukla, managing director of M-Plast, said his company will immediately begin mold finishing and supply from its existing Noida plant, with plans to move into a new, 18,000-sq-m modern mold-casting and manufacturing site in greater Noida, which will open in the next financial year.

The Assn. of Rotational Molders International (ARM; Oak Brook, IL), has emphasized Indian growth, establishing a South Asia Region Division (SARD) with an office and two full-time staff in India. At ARM’s fall conference last year in Washington DC, the group reported that the two-year-old SARD has 70 members in seven countries. Given 18 months to become profitable, SARD did so in eight months, hosting 13 regional meetings with 35 to 70 people each, according to ARM officials. ARM anticipates annual Indian rotomolding growth to come in at 16%, with opportunities in infrastructure projects as well as automotive, septic tanks, and school furniture. SARD will host a meeting in Mumbai from Feb. 1-3.—[email protected]