Founded in 1989, Maharashtra Seamless Ltd. (MSL) is the flagship company of the diversified D.P. Jindal Group. Being engaged in the manufacture of seamless pipes (various capacities), MSL caters to applications and industries such as oil exploration, boilers, pipelines, petrochemicals, etc. The Company has established a pan-India presence with manufacturing facilities in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.
In an exclusive interview with Tube & Pipe India, Mr. Shiv Kumar Singhal, President (Commercial), Maharashtra Seamless Ltd, takes us through the business journey of the company, the infrastructure setup, the product range, and the way ahead.
“We also provide solutions for downstream applications for transmission of oil, gas, and petroleum products from refineries to all depots, airports for air turbine fuels, and installations through cross-country pipelines.”
Tube & Pipe India: Could you please give us a brief outline of the business journey of your company along with its crucial milestones?
Shiv Kumar Singhal: Maharashtra Seamless is a part of the D.P. Jindal Group. Our Group Chairman Shri D.P. Jindal started his entrepreneurial journey from our parent company Jindal Pipes Ltd. We’ve been manufacturing ERW pipes at our Ghaziabad facility for more than three decades.
Founded in 1989, Maharashtra Seamless Ltd. (MSL) entered the seamless pipe market with the setting up of a state-of-the-art Chlorinated Polyethylene (CPE) plant in Nagothane, Maharashtra for the manufacturing of seamless pipes up to 7” outer diameter. In 2000, MSL established a plant to make the largest diameter Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) pipes in India up to 20” outer diameter. In the following year, the Company successfully commissioned a wind power project with a 7MW capacity in Satara, Maharashtra.
MSL set up another seamless pipe manufacturing plant using plug mill process for higher diameter seamless pipes up to 14”, in the year 2004. In 2005, the Company entered into value-added products & premium connections, and set up the facility for 3LPE, 3LPP, and FBE anticorrosive coating in up to 48” pipe diameter in Nagothane in 2006.
Then, in 2012, MSL extended its seamless pipes to range up to 20” at Nagothane. In the same year, another state-of-the-art MPM Mill was started in Mangaon, Maharashtra to increase the capacity of seamless pipe manufacturing. In 2020, we also acquired another seamless manufacturing unit called United Seamless Tubulaar Pvt. Ltd. (USTPL) at Narketpally, Telangana, through NCLT. It is a 100 percent subsidiary of MSL and the merger process with MSL is on. Furthermore, we have also expanded our ERW business by setting up a plant in Bellary, Karnataka and Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
TPI: Kindly cast some light on the infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities, and machinery installed in your facility.
SKS: We have established a pan-India presence with manufacturing facilities in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana, for manufacturing ERW pipes from ½” to 20” in diameter. In seamless also, we have three manufacturing units, i.e. two units in Maharashtra and one unit in Telangana, Mangaon, and Hyderabad for manufacturing seamless pipes from ½ to 20”.
We have established in-house state-of-the-art production units. Also, our modern laboratories have been NABL-approved. We have NACE laboratories for supplying seamless pipes for service. Besides, we are equipped with all the testing facilities like NDT, UT, EMI, Eddy-current, MPM, Hydro Tester, Impact testing, Hardness Tester, etc.
TPI: Tell us about your product portfolio along with its key strengths and applications.
SKS: Our product portfolio caters to each and every sector and application like oil & gas, refineries, petrochemicals, chemicals, fertilizers, power, railways, boiler, automotive, bearing, gas cylinders, infrastructure, mechanical, and structural applications. We are supplying to all the major boiler manufacturers like Thermax, Thyssen, ISGEC, BHEL, etc. Our major supplies go to the leading players in the oil & gas sector like ONGC, OIL, and all refineries like BPCL, HPCL, IOCL, Reliance, and AM&NS for transmission of oiI & gas. Our products like casing & tubing and drill pipes are used in the upstream sector for the exploration of oil & gas. We supply our pipes to midstream for transmission of crude oil from basins to refineries.
Moreover, we also provide solutions for downstream applications for the transmission of oil, gas, and petroleum products from refineries to all depots, airports for air turbine fuels, and installations through cross-country pipelines. The products are also used in higher pressure, higher temperature, higher mechanical strength, corrosive atmosphere, mega power plants, etc.
TPI: What are the recent developments at your end? Also, what will be your future plans?
SKS: Recently, we have developed for the first time in India and started supplying cylinder pipes which used to be imported 100 percent. Also, we have bagged an important and prestigious order for a subsea pipeline, which would also substitute imports, and is being manufactured by no other player in India. We are planning to achieve full capacity utilisation by adding value-added products, increasing our client base with more market share, and bringing efficiency & profitability. The merger with MSL & USTPL would pave the way for achieving the envisioned goals.
TPI: Please shed some light on the market footprint and clientele of your company along with the
expansion plans.
SKS: We are enjoying major market share because of our widest product range which our competitors do not have. We have attained a glorious and successful track record for catering to all the important projects for many decades with prestigious clients like ONGC, OIL, BPCL, HPCL, IOCL, Reliance, L&T, NTPC, BHEL, Thermax, Thyssen ISGE, and many more. In addition, we have established our footprints in overseas markets such as the USA, Canada, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our export market share is almost 30 percent.
TPI: Share your outlook on the tube and pipe industry. How do you see the market evolving in the future?
SKS: India is one of the largest economies in the world. There is a lot of infrastructural development and related projects which are going on. The domestic demand for tubes & pipes is quite high and a lot of imports are still coming in. In this regard, we have further scope for capacity building to cater to the domestic requirements in the market. Also, new avenues of the export market have opened up for India due to present geo-political situations in the global steel industry.
Also Read: APL Apollo launches Next-Gen Steel Building Solutions for Structural Steel Tubes
TPI: What is your technology and business roadmap?
SKS: We have the finest technology available in the world for manufacturing seamless pipes, i.e., CPE, MPM & Plug Mill, PPF latest technology from Dandeli which gives superior quality, surface finish, and close tolerances. The Company has a dedicated team of professionals and we don’t compromise on quality and safety. We would like to achieve 100 percent customer satisfaction by supplying our quality products at the right time, at the right place, and at the right price.
