The Hindu Business Line : Thapar Group plans expansion in high growth businesses

Ramping up
Salient Business Solutions, the Group's BPO firm to focus on higher margin data processing business rather than voice processing
The Group's retail business is also in expansion mode with an enhancement of its product portfolio

MR GAUTAM THAPAR

New Delhi , June 25

The Thapar Group - promoters of Ballarpur Industries Ltd (BILT) - is looking to expand its non-allied high growth businesses such as retail and BPO. The group is also understood to be studying the feasibility of foraying into the insurance business.

Last year, the Group entered into a 70:30 joint venture with US-based healthcare service provider Option Care Inc, to enter the BPO business with 175 seats.

Salient Business Solutions, (Thapar Group's BPO firm) is, however, on expansion mode already. Mr Gautam Thapar, Chairman, Salient Business Solutions, said: "We currently have 175 seats and plan to scale up operations to 400 seats by 2007." The company, according to Mr Thapar, would focus on the higher margin data processing business rather than voice processing.

Further expansion

The company plans to expand into other services such as finance and accounting and HR-led services and horizontal services such as vendor management, procurement, sales management and data warehousing solutions. Further, Salient might also look to further strengthen its operations by making a "small acquisition".

The Thapar Group, similarly, is looking to expand Ballarpur's retail business. It is planning to ramp up operations of the retail business, which currently gives revenues of Rs 50 crore. The company is now enhancing its product portfolio by adding more stationery items such as writing instruments, file covers and photographic paper among others. It is also looking to add other high-end products to its existing portfolio that consists of 125 stock-keeping units currently (including the Matrix range of products). BILT expects to double its revenue from the retail business, under which it sells notebooks, notepads, copier paper and other products, to Rs 100 crore by June next year.

Premium writing

BILT is also in the process of conducting due diligence for its proposed foray into premium writing instruments.

Mr Thapar pointed out that BILT would also expand its outlets in the country from the current 15,000 to 30,000 shops in the next couple of years.

"We would be looking at specialised retail and would focus on in-shop retail space for Matrix," Mr Thapar said.

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Thapar Group plans expansion in high growth businesses