A state-of-the-art integrated pulp and paper plant of Abhishek Industries Ltd (AIL), the flagship company of towel and textile major Trident group, was commissioned Wednesday near Barnala town in south-west Punjab.

A company spokesman said the Rs.8.25 billion ($196.4 million) plant has emerged as the largest wheat-straw based paper plant in the world.

The plant will produce value-added papers like the A-4 size copier varieties, map-litho varieties and pigmented papers.

After commissioning the plant, the company aims to compete with other leading paper manufacturers in the country. It has already launched its A-4 copier under the brand name - Spectra. The expected incremental revenues from these facilities will be about Rs.4.5 billion per annum.

The spokesman said the enhanced capacity of the plant would also produce bleached pulp with environment friendly pulping process. "This makes the company the first agro-based paper manufacturer in India to adopt elemental chlorine free (ECF) technology," he added.

The plant will have a captive 20 MW power plant for its requirement.

The Rs.15 billion Trident group has business interests paper, home textiles, retail, yarn, IT, energy and chemicals. It is rated among the top five towel manufacturers in the world.

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