WCA September 2014

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24 Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2014
Industrynews
FROM a new company in 1990 to one
that employs 9,000 people and is the
second largest stainless steel long
producer in the world, the growth of Viraj
Profiles is as impressive as its plans for
the future.
In 1991 the first melting shop started
operations, although the production of
stainless steel began four years later.
The year 2000 saw the addition of a
profiling division, from which 99 per cent
of products were exported.
The wire division was
established in 2001, and the
addition of a second smelting
shop increased the aggregate
melting capacity to 18,000
tons per month. Viraj also
joined the Federation of
Indian Export Organisations.
A fastener and wire rod
division followed in 2006 and
four years later managing
director Mrs Renu Kochhar
received an MSLA
(Madhavrao Scindia
Leadership Award).
The company now produces 180,000
tons of bright bars a year, in addition to
50,000 tons of wire. Around 18,000 tons
of flanges, complemented by 60,000
tons of fasteners and 78,000 tons of
stainless steel profiles are made each
year, as well as 300,000 tons of stainless
steel wire rods.
Viraj’s sites incorporate the latest
technology to generate the broad
range of stainless steel solutions.
2012 saw the inauguration of a new
production unit in Viraj’s wires division,
whilst a fully automatic rolling mill
commenced operations this year.
Viraj continuously introduces new
technologies to its fabrication plant,
having recently installed three high
power induction furnaces from ABP
Induction Systems in Germany – the
first of their kind in the industry.
Viraj’s stainless steel products see
applications in boilers, pressure
vessels, shipbuilding, oil pipelines,
petrochemical facilities, construction
projects and surgical instruments,
among others. It also functions as one
of the world’s largest stainless steel
flange manufacturers.
The company emphasises a
zero-defect approach to quality
control, employing a specialist team of
quality control analysts who safeguard
every single element of the production
process. It is fully ISO 9001 certified,
with equipment in place that allows all
products to be tested for external and
internal defects.
Viraj’s export footprint factors in
Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East,
Australia and the Americas – although
further expansion is at the
forefront of the company’s
strategy, especially in the
North American market.
The company’s training
complements the cultivation
of industrial skills with
valuable personal devel-
opment opportunities, whilst
also integrating numerous
means of environmental
consideration into its lead-
ing manufacturing facilities.
It is also highly active in corporate
social responsibility with many
programmes in place to uplift
community education, healthcare,
infrastructural development and
overcome gender discrimination.
It employs several incentives, including
granting scholarships and providing
writing materials to educational
institutions, arranging for e-classes in
the nearby schools.
Viraj’s commitment to enhancing
Indian education has led to the
realisation of Viraj Shri Ram Centennial
School, an institution that operates to
internationally acclaimed standards.
Further to this, the company has also
developed drives such as adult literacy
programmes and infrastructural
development to rural, remote and
poverty-stricken communities.
Healthcare is also high on the
company’s agenda – Viraj is actively
participating in the development of a
medical facility in Tarapur in
Maharashtra.
Looking ahead, the recent
implementation of Viraj’s fully
automatic section rolling mill – the first
industrial-scale facility of its kind in
India – demonstrates a firm
commitment to the future.
Increasing capacity has been further
enhanced by Viraj’s newly
implemented rolling mill, which has a
capacity of 180,000 tons per annum.
“It is the most significant such
investment made in the entire global
stainless steel sector in the last five
years,” Mrs Kochhar said.
Viraj Profiles Limited – India
Website:
An impressive past and a very bright future
❍ Managing director
Mrs Renu Kochhar