Balrampur Chini Mills (BCML) has announced a Rs 2,000 crore forward integration project which would be the first-ever industrial bioplastic plant in India. Moreover, its diversification with its upcoming polylactic acid (PLA) manufacturing venture aligns to the sustainability goals envisioned in the country.

The new project aims to propel India towards net zero emissions by 2070 with an estimated investment of Rs 2,000 crore in phases over the next 30 months. Expected to be completed within 30 months, the new venture will mark the establishment of the first-ever industrial bioplastic plant in India.

The PLA factory will boast a capacity of 75, 000 tpa, and the project will be located on a greenfield site, beside an existing sugar plant. The company owns about ten sugar mills, all of which are in Uttar Pradesh. The local infrastructure already at the sugar mill locations will help efficient usage of sugar as a raw material, to produce PLA. 

The new venture is also facilitated by BCML's minority stake acquisition in Konkan Speciality Polyproducts (Konspec), an active player in specialty polymers & biopolymers, intermediaries, and chemicals. Single use plastic (SUP) consumption and its respective applications could be replaced by PLA and PLA compounds.