CK Somany Group's flagship company, which entered the float glass sector with a 600/tpd plant at Halol, Gujarat, Jan/10, has already gained an 18.2% market share in the clear float glass segment. "We are keen to go into auto glass & are in talks with international firms for a technical & financial J-V," said KC Jain, president, HNG Float Glass, adding that discussions are in the initial stage & an agreement could be finalized soon. The company has invested around Rs 550 crore to set up a 600/tpd float glass plant & a nominal investment of around Rs 30 crore would be needed to set up a line for auto glass. "Auto glass is processed glass, where float glass is laminated & designed according to the requirement of the original equipment manufacturer. We already have the raw material at Halol, having the right technology for manufacturing the auto variety is crucial," Jain said. He added that HNG is interested in entering the automotive sector because of the strategic location of the company's Halol plant, with OEMs such as the General Motors plant at Halol itself and Tata Motors' Nano plant at Sanand near Ahmedabad, as well as several other automotive OEs in the nearby Pune industrial belt.
