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The Indian Wood Products Co. Ltd. established in 1919 is a Pioneer manufacturer of Katha (Catechu) and Cutch.

  • PROFILE

    The Indian Wood Products Co. Ltd. was promoted by Mr. H.N. Gladstone, Mr. H. Bateson, Mr. E.H. Bbray of London and others in the year 1919. The Company was incorporated on December 23, 1919 as a company limited by shares under the Indian Companies Act, 1913, with the sole object to manufacture Katha and Cutch at Izatnagar, Bareilly (UP) India. The manufacturing activities were started in 1920 and the Board of Directors appointed M/s. Gillianders Arbuthnot & Co. Ltd., as the Managing Agents to look after the daily activities of the Company.

    Up to 1962, the Company was under the Director of Industries, Kanpur (UP) and it was only in 1963 that the company was granted an Industrial Licence by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. With the abolition of Managing Agency System by the Companies Act, M/s. Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co. Ltd. ceased to act as the Managing Agents of the Company. Thereafter the control and management of the Company vested with the Board of Directors consisting of Directors of Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co. Ltd., and their associate companies.

    In 1980, the present management acquired the controlling interest in the Company by acquisition of shares of the Company.

    At present, Mr. K.K. Mohta (Chairman) and Mr. Bharat Mohta (CEO) control the entire operations of the Company and deputed at the Registered Office of the Company whereas Mr. K. K. Damani (Executive Director) resides and deputed at works supervise and control the entire operations and productions of the Company. However the total supervision and strict control rests with the Board of Directors of the company.

    The basic information about the Company is as under:

    Corporate Identification No. L20101WB1919PLC003557
    Registered Office 9, Brabourne Road, 7th floor, Kolkata– 700001, West Bengal, India
    Corporate Office 9, Brabourne Road, 7th floor, Kolkata– 700001, West Bengal, India
    Plant Locations I - Izatnagar, Bareilly (UP), Pin Code - 243122, (India)
    II - PO: Asoj, Dist. Vadodara, Gujarat - 391510, (India)
    III - SIDCO, SAMBA, PHASE-3, Jammu & Kashmir - 184121, (India)
    Registration No. 003557
    Address of ROC Nizam Palace, II MSO Bldg., 2nd floor, 234/4, AJC Bose Road, Kolkata – 700020
    Email ID iwpho@iwpkatha.co.in
    Website www.iwpkatha.com
  • INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

    Katha & cutch are extracted from Khair tree. Botanical name of Khair tree is Acacia Catechu. These species of tree are mainly concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The preferred locations are either UP or Bihar. Manufacture of Katha is an important forest-based traditional industry in India. The Forest Research Institute Dehradun has developed an improved process to manufacture Katha and cutch from Gambier (extract of Uncaria Gambier Roxb). Manufacture of these products is simple and does not require sophisticated technology or equipments. There are many applications of these products.

    Katha is bitter, acrid and is used in paan and in medicinal and ayurvedic preparations. Cutch is a by-product of Katha and is used as tanning material, as an additive and preservatives by many industries.

    Katha is being produced in the country since long and it is a mass consumption item as it is used in preparation of paan all over the country. It has got medicinal values as well and is used in ayurvedic preparations as it cures itching, indigestion and bronchitis and is very effective in leprosy, ulcer, boils, piles, throat diseases etc. On the other hand, cutch has various industrial applications. It is one of the important sources of vegetable tanning materials, used extensively as an additive to the drilling mud used for oil drilling and for preservation of sailing rods, fishing nets, mail bags etc. Thus, both products are versatile with varied application.

  • BUSINESS OVERVIEW

    The Indian Wood Products Co. Ltd. established in 1919 is a Pioneer manufacturer of Katha (Catechu) and Cutch. We are mainly into the business of production, processing and marketing of high quality Katha (Catechu) and Cutch.

    We have attained over 90 years of experience in this business and are proceeding further towards realizing our objective of achieving ultimate customer satisfaction.

    Achieving ultimate customer satisfaction is the prime outlook of IWP. To materialise this, the organisation has adopted stringent quality control tests from intermediate stages of input of raw materials till output of finished products. To achieve this, we have qualified team of 20 engineers & chemists who monitor the operation and the quality. We are well equipped with laboratory facilities and modern equipment’s such as HPTLC, GLC, Polarimeters, TLC, Spectrophotometer, Moisture meter, Hygroscopes besides Kjeldahl extractor etc.

    The company also owns a research lab having plant & equipment’s for Pilot Plant scale research for improving quality & research.

    To cater to the increasing demand for Katha in 2015, we had entered into a exclusive contract manufacturing agreement with Nanhe Mal Agro (India) Limited in Daman-UT for making katha for us. In 2016, we took a katha manufacturing plant in Baroda on a 10 year lease agreement. The Company is expanding its capacity in the Bareilly plant on a regular basis. In order to increase Market Share in Premium Katha Segment the Company has set up a green field plant at Jammu which has got operational in July-2019.

    The Company Ventured into retailing of packed spices in few state in phase – I in 2018.

    The Company operates in 2 segments i.e. manufacturing of katha & retailing of packed spices. Our company has recorded total revenue from katha operation is Rs. 196.45 crores & Rs. 4.05 crores from spices in FY-2019.

    We have an extensive marketing network with loyal and committed distributors and dealers in India.

    Sourcing the material: We explore the various options for sourcing the products. Our Company has always maintained a healthy relation with the vendors. The selection of products and vendors is done by our Company based on the quality of products, cost of the products, and capacity, credibility, quality awareness and experience of vendors.

    Tapping the retailers: Our Company also has a dedicated marketing team, which constantly stay in touch with stockists/retailers/customers. The marketing team show samples, collects purchase orders and build delivery schedule.

    Quality Assurance & Research
    Achieving ultimate customer satisfaction is the prime outlook of IWP. To materialise this, the organisation has adopted stringent quality control tests from intermediate stages of input of raw materials till output of finished products. To achieve this, we have qualified team of 20 engineers & chemists who monitor the operation and the quality. We are well equipped with laboratory facilities and modern equipments such as HPTLC, GLC, Polarimeters, TLC, Spectrophotometer, Moisture meter, Hygroscopes besides Kjeldahl extractor etc. The Company also owns a research lab having plant & equipments for Pilot Plant scale research for improving quality & research.

    Business Strategy
    The key components of our strategy to maximize value are to continuously enhance customer satisfaction, attract, develop, and retain talent, and maintain stringent standards of environmental safety and corporate responsibility. To this end, the Company operates the business in the most efficient & effective way to ensure supply of quality products that satisfy its focused-customer's needs and add value to its stakeholders.

    Continue to Focus on Training and Motivating our work force
    Our Company strongly focuses on training its work force on a continuous basis. Our Company shall always focus on narrowing the hierarchy for free and transparent two-way communication between management and employees for better exchange of ideas, views and opinions for maintaining good competitive work atmosphere at all levels.