Breaking The 'Glass' Ceiling With Borosil The company, apart from making consumer products, also makes scientific products. The company recently announced the demerger, where Borosil Limited will have the consumer business and the other entity which will be listed soon will be named Borosil Scientific

A little glitz and glamor never hurts. What if it's paired with your favorite lunch box or water bottle? From 1962, Borosil Glass Works Ltd, had been adding a 'glassy' twist to its products with a touch of eco-friendliness.

When the world is moving towards environmentally-friendly options, the company has taken its innovation standards to a new height, "People are looking at healthier, convenient and environmentally-friendly options. One of the most-used products is a water bottle. Earlier, people used to drink from plastic bottles, unaware of the fact that due to environmental conditions, the plastic leaches into the water. Today, consumers prefer healthier options and in this category, our hydra bottle range fits in perfectly. It is convenient-to-use and eco-friendly, all our products are based on these principles," said Shreevar Kheruka, managing director of Borosil Glass Works Ltd.

Innovation

Under the leadership of Kheruka, Borosil diversified from a laboratory glassware company to becoming a complete lifestyle brand with a product diversification now including kitchen appliances, storage containers, hydration bottles and kitchenware, among others.

With a goal of replacing plastic in the kitchen, the company is planning to launch products made in tempered borosilicate glass. "There are certain perks associated with plastics. They can be carved into any shape and size and secondly, they are unbreakable. Working on these aspects, we have zeroed in on tempered borosilicate glass, which basically means toughened glass. This is the first time in India and we will be curating glass products that would be tougher to break, trendier, healthier and affordable. This is our main focus in innovation in glassware this year."

The company is setting up a production unit in Jaipur. "In terms of product choices, the options in glass are limited and it is more on the expensive side. We are working on this and soon we will be launching our new set of glass storage containers."

The home appliance section is also fast expanding, "The pandemic has honed cooking skills in almost everyone. People are now donning the hat of a chef. Thanks to this, the home appliance section is growing greatly."

Inflation

As economic activity started showing signs of recovery in the second year of the pandemic, the economy was rocked by the fresh challenge of rising global inflation. "In the last six months there has been incredible inflation. In my career spanning over 16 years, I have not seen inflation impacting prices in such a short period. Whether it's raw material, packaging prices, power and fuel or transportation, the prices have shot over the roof."

The company has already shifted a price increase of 12 per cent to the end customer. "We have also signed longer contracts for raw materials, power and fuel supply. "So, for the rest of the year, we hope there will be no further increase in cost. The current geo-political conflict and the intensity of COVID-19 will shape our future course of action."

Exports & Imports

"Exports and imports are a challenge with the escalation in container prices. We import a lot of products and from the cost perspective it has been affected. For exports, there was no other way than passing on the cost to customers, which we have already done," he said, adding that exports account for eight per ent of the revenue, which will substantially grow to 10-12 per ecnt in the next two to three years.

Currently, the company is more focused on growing its business in India, "From the consumer segment, our focus is more on the Indian market. For our scientific products export is a focus as the segment is not quite affected by freight cost because of its high demand."