E.I.D-Parry (India) Limited is part of the Tamil Nadu-based Rs.17.51 crores - USD 3.8 Billion Murugappa Group and the largest sugar producer in South India and is one of the top five sugar producers in the country.

E.I.D-Parry, a dominant player in sugar with interests in promising areas of bio – pesticides and nutraceuticals, is one of the oldest companies in India. It retains a significant presence in the farm inputs business through its subsidiary Coromandel International Ltd. E.I.D-Parry holds a 50% stake in Silkroad Sugar Private Limited, a joint venture with Cargill Asia Pacific PTE. Limited, which has a sugar refinery at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

Sugar

The Sugar factories of E.I.D-Parry are spread across South India of which four are in Tamil Nadu, one in Puducherry, one in Andhra Pradesh and three in Karnataka, through its subsidiaries Sadashiva Sugars Ltd (100% Equity Stake) and Parrys Sugar Industries Ltd (formerly GMR Industries Ltd which E.I.D-Parry had acquired in August 2010 as part of the growth strategy for the Sugar business, with a 65% stake in the Equity). E.I.D-Parry has increased the throughput sugarcane capacity to 32,500 TCD, co-generation capacity to 146 MW and Distillery capacity to 230 KLPD across its sugar mills. The integrated sugar units have been designed to optimize process efficiencies, increase sugarcane recovery ratio, and increase energy efficiency through reduced steam and power consumption.

E.I.D-Parry continues to be one of the low cost producers of international quality sugar, through its innovative process and farmer centric practices.

South India and Tamil Nadu in particular has many advantages for sugar production and E.I.D-Parry is able to capitalize on these advantages:-

• Cane productivity and sugar recovery per unit area is highest. The average farm size is less than a hectare and is owned by farmers. Geographically, Tamil Nadu has the advantage of good soil and abundant water and yield is highest among the various states in India
• Farmers are willing to adopt new farming practices and cultivation methodologies, including mechanization, to improve yield
• Access to ports to reach export market and improved development of infrastructure facilities
• Direct relationship with cane growers to ensure adequate cane availability and supply
• Sugarcane breeding remains the focus to ensure timely availability of newer varieties of cane

Cane and Manufacturing

New technologies are implemented in all the milling process, for efficient process. Factories in Tamil Nadu are integrated with co-generation and distillery operating at Nellikuppam & Sivaganga. In the sugar process, different types viz. raw sugar, white sugar and value added products are produced.

To make the value chain sustainable, in-house Cane R & D and Cane Extension are driving the technology to field for better yield, recovery improvement and cost reduction. Information technology developments are fully utilised for efficient data system management and process monitoring.

Value added Products

E.I.D-Parry has been retailing its branded Sugar in South India. Apart from branded retail sugar, the company is moving up the value chain to products like pharma grade sugar which improve the margins. Investments are being made not only in appropriate manufacturing facilities, but also in branding and offering customized solutions for institutional customers.

Co-Products

India's demand for power and the blending of ethanol with petrol opens the opportunity for co - products.

• Co-generation of Power (Cogen): The growing energy consumption in India allows the sugar industry to play an increasingly important role in the energy economy. Additionally, the power generated and exported by the cogen unit is environment friendly and made available to rural areas where the mills are located, by a de-centralized infrastructure. Thus, sugarcane is increasingly becoming an energy crop. The former is in line with Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) methodologies for Cogen power and as a result carbon credits have started flowing into the company.
• Molasses and Alcohol: Molasses, the by-product of sugarcane, can be converted into various types of alcohol like Rectified Spirit, ENA and Fuel Ethanol, providing another earning stream for the business

Both these businesses are 'green' considering their renewable nature and, more importantly, given the relatively steady demand, help reduce the vulnerability of the Company, which is exposed to the cyclicality of the sugar business.

E.I.D-Parry set up India's first sugar plant at Nellikuppam in 1842. The pioneering spirit has seen E.I.D-Parry setting up the first fully automated sugar plant at Pudukottai in 2000, a distillery, and more recently, zero waste integrated sugar complexes.

E.I.D-Parry produces variety of sugars at its four fully automated plants in Tamil Nadu and a fifth one at Puducherry. These cater to the food, bakery, confectioneries and beverage manufacturing industries, and are also used in pharma applications.

The Bio-Products Division of E.I.D-Parry is committed to helping farmers produce profitable agricultural produce through safe and sustainable agricultural inputs.

The Division has a state-of-the-art Azadirachtin manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, to produce Neemazal, an Eco-friendly botanical Bio-pesticide. The ISO-14001 certified manufacturing unit is the world’s largest Azadirachtin extraction plant. Besides these, there’s also Neemazal and Abda a granular plant vitaliser formulation for early establishment, crop vigour and higher yields. Envisaging active participation in the global green drive, new non-azadirachtin, organic / green agri inputs are also being pursued for introduction in future.

A division of E.I.D-Parry (India) Ltd., Parry Nutraceuticals is a world leader in nutritional food supplements - the only producer of 100% Vegetarian Certified Organic Spirulina. It is the only one in the world to commercially produce three different species of micro algae on a large scale. Parry Nutraceuticals exports to over 38 countries, the main markets being North America, the EU, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

With the global trend moving towards preventive healthcare, Parry Nutraceuticals is at the threshold of a dynamic growth era.