Waldies has formally commenced mass commercial production at its new manufacturing facility in Dausa, Rajasthan, marking the completion of the principal commissioning phase of one of the company’s most significant manufacturing expansions in recent decades.
The commencement was marked with traditional pujas at the facility on Wednesday, following the successful completion of phased trials, equipment commissioning and initial commercial dispatches over the preceding months.
With an installed capacity of approximately 24,000 metric tonnes per annum, the Dausa facility significantly expands Waldies’ manufacturing capabilities in PVC stabilisers, One-Pack systems, specialty lubricants and related additives. The company expects the facility to progressively ramp up operations and reach approximately 80% capacity utilisation during the next financial year.
The development follows Waldies’ earlier announcement regarding successful production trials at Dausa ahead of commercial commissioning. The company had adopted a phased approach to the project, allowing individual manufacturing lines and processes to be tested, refined and stabilised before moving into mass commercial production.
The facility has been designed primarily around Waldies’ growing portfolio of lead-free and non-toxic PVC additive systems, including Calcium-Zinc stabilisers and customised One-Pack solutions for applications across pipes and fittings, wires and cables, profiles and other PVC-processing segments.
Its location in Rajasthan also represents a significant geographical shift in Waldies’ manufacturing footprint. Historically centred around its manufacturing operations at Konnagar in West Bengal, the Dausa facility places the company considerably closer to several major PVC-processing markets and raw-material supply corridors across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi-NCR and other parts of North and Western India.
“A new chapter in a very old journey”
Commenting on the commencement of commercial production, Deepak Ojha, Chairman & Managing Director, Waldies Compound Limited, said:
“There is something deeply humbling about watching the first full-scale production emerge from a new facility. Waldies has been manufacturing in India for generations, and Dausa represents a new chapter in that very old journey. We have built this plant to add 24,000 tonnes of capacity, we believe the next phase of the PVC industry will demand safer chemistry, greater consistency, faster response and much closer collaboration between manufacturers and processors.”
Ojha added that the company would remain measured in ramping up the facility rather than pursuing utilisation at the expense of manufacturing discipline.
“The machines are running and commercial production has begun, but for us this is where the responsibility really starts. Our immediate priority is to stabilise every process, establish repeatability across every batch and gradually take the facility towards its intended scale. We expect to reach around 80% utilisation during the next financial year. More than the number itself, we want Dausa to earn its reputation through the quality and consistency of what leaves its gates.”
Focus shifts from commissioning to operational excellence
Anil Sharma, President, Waldies Compound Limited, said the commencement of commercial production marked the transition of the project from an engineering exercise into a manufacturing operation.
“Commissioning a plant and running a plant consistently at scale are two very different disciplines. The project team has successfully brought Dausa to commercial production; the focus now shifts to process stabilisation, productivity, quality, safety and building a strong operating culture at the facility.”
Sharma, whose career has included decades of involvement with industrial development in Rajasthan, said the plant’s location would also provide Waldies with a strategic advantage in serving important consumption centres in North and Western India.
“Dausa offers an excellent combination of industrial connectivity and proximity to some of the country’s important PVC-processing markets. As utilisation increases, we expect the location to translate into shorter supply chains, improved responsiveness to customers and greater competitiveness. The objective now is to convert that geographical advantage into sustained operational performance.”
The commissioning comes as the Indian PVC industry continues to move towards lead-free stabilisation systems across a growing range of applications. Waldies has been expanding its portfolio of Calcium-Zinc systems, specialty One-Packs and engineered lubricant solutions as processors increasingly seek alternatives suited to evolving regulatory, performance and sustainability requirements.
Dausa is expected to play a central role in this transition, while Waldies’ existing Konnagar operations will continue to remain an important part of the company’s manufacturing network, including for its established lead-based and other product businesses.
The Rajasthan facility has also been designed to provide greater flexibility for customised formulations and application-specific products, allowing Waldies’ R&D, manufacturing and commercial teams to work more closely with processors on product development and trials.
For the company, however, the immediate task remains considerably more fundamental: turning a newly commissioned factory into a stable, high-utilisation manufacturing operation.