SURYA ROSHINI-Towards Self-Sufficiency

All-Round Growth GRASIM INDUSTRIES achieved commendable performance in the year ended March 1991. With an increase of 18.1 per cent in net sales, operating profits improved by 41.2 per cent over the previous year. Gross profits and profits after tax recorded impressive growth of 43 per cent and 73.3 per cent respectively. Despite increase in the cost of various inputs, the expenses- to-sales ratio was maintained at 0.95:1. The company implemented various programmes of replacement, renovation, modernisation, diversification, de- bottlenecking and technological innovation which resulted in improved operational efficiency in almost all products. Production of viscose staple fibre touched 1,45,540 tonnes as against 1,34,436 tonnes in 1989-90. Continous hike in ex- ise duty coupled with escalation in the cost of various inputs such as power, coal, railway freight and labour adversely hit the use of the fibre. Though the volume of sale of viscose staple fibre showed a rise of only 4 per cent from 1,06,903 tonnes to 1,11,410 tonnes, there was an increase of 21 per cent in value realised. New varieties of viscose staple fibre developed in the company's own research centre received good response from the textile industry. The company is planning to put up a commercial pilot plant for production of a new generation of viscose fibre by regenerating cellulosic fibre based on solvent process.