De-coating Esdee Paints
The company has been growing its profile and presence across market segments.
Esdee Paints Ltd. (EPL) has supplied metallic paints to application builders working with the Tata Ace. Enthused by the demand for this value-added product, the company aspires to see it being applied on premium commercial vehicles like the Prima and the Ultra ranges being put out by Tata Motors. ‘Currently, the market uses dual coat Epoxy Primers and QD systems. However, we foresee a wider transition to single or mono coat systems, wherein a single coat can be used as a primer as well as a topcoat,’ opines Reshuk Dawra, Executive Director, EPL. Understandably, the five- decade old company has already begun working on a range of mono coat paint shades. Speaking of the company’s bread and butter products, Epoxy Primers are available in solid and semi-solid variants. As for the PU paint range, it consists of base primers and top coats such as Autocoat PU, Classic PU, Superset, Cellocoat. Some of these paints also go into the automotive refinish segment. During this time span, the company has emerged as a key partner for a clutch of commercial vehicle application developers. ‘We work with companies like Aditya Automobiles, Universal Auto Body, Kailash Vahan and CEBBCO,’ says Dawra. To these body builders, EPL mainly supplies Quick Dry (QD) paint, a semi glossy finish usually applied on tippers. The paint-maker also offers higher grade Polyurethane (PU) and Polyester – amino stoving products,
to Force Motors for the company’s truck cabins and farm equipment. EPL also caters to State Transport Undertakings (STUs) like Gujarat Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) on the back of certification from the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU), Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) as well as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). Last fiscal the company registered a turnover of Rs. 500 crore, 60 percent of which came from the automotive segment. Interestingly, the company prefers to slot commercial vehicle paints under the general industrial business, which accounted for a mere 10 percent of its turnover. Setting aside, the automotive segment, EPL also caters to the industrial and decorative segments as well. The company banks on a strong distribution network to be relevant to these diverse customers. EPL has 35 company- owned branches, which in turn dispatch products to retailers as well as credit and forwarding agents (CNF). The tally of aftermarket dealers is 12,000. The company exports its PU refinish systems to customers in Asia and Africa. Overseas sales already constitute 25 percent of EPL’s overall turnover. And the prospects are good. In fact, ‘On the back of growing demand from Africa, we are looking at a Y- o-Y growth of 15-20 percent in exports,’ affirms Dawra
Layer up on layer
EPL ensures that its paints are put through a rigorous regime of test and certification to determine durability and viscosity. ‘ The QUV test helps establish the durability and resistance of a colour before it fades,’ explains Dawra. In fact, the company has invested in modern machinery, which through a 1,000 hour testing cycle subject the paint to levels of radiation, humidity and other environmental impact which it may be subjected to over a fiveyear period. EPL also has a Q- Sun machine, which tests paints for acidic resistance. Besides durability, finer aspects like gloss levels are measured too, ‘Gloss levels should ideally be in the angle range of 58- 60 degrees,’ asserts Dawra. The company’s R& D lab further bolsters EPL’s efforts to match up to customer requirements. For instance, in step with the growing demand for metallic colours, the company plans on investing in a ‘spectro photo metre’.