Hyderabad: Edible oil maker GEF India plans to open three new plants by 2021 to nearly double its production capacity, according to a top official.
Speaking to this newspaper, GEF India managing director Pradeep Chowdhury said, “We have already have a refinery in Kakinanda and are planning to build another one there. Moreover, we are already in talks with the governments of Odisha and Tamil Nadu to set up two more plants.”
He added that these these plants, which would be come up by 2021, would give a major boost to their production capacity and help beat the average growth in the edible industry.
When asked about the total investment to set up the three plant, he said, “GEF India plans to invest around Rs 240 crore for the Kakinada refinery will cater to the demand for edible oil in AP, TS and Odisha.”
He went on to add that along with two other refineries would push GEF’s total refining capacity past 5,000 tonnes per day.
When pressed about the investment for the two new plants, he added that, “The total capex for the three plants together would come to about Rs 900 crore. The Kakinada unit, which would come up by 2019, has been allocated Rs 240 crore. The Odisha unit and Tamil Nadu, which would come up in 2020 and 2021 respectively, have Rs 300 crore each.”
