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Avantha Group

Overview

The Avantha Group is an Indian business conglomerate headquartered in New Delhi, with diversified interests spanning paper and pulp, power transmission and distribution equipment, energy, food processing, chemicals, infrastructure and information technology services. The group operates through several Indian and international subsidiaries and has had a presence across multiple countries through its principal companies.

Name Avantha Group
Type Private conglomerate
Headquarters New Delhi, India
Country India
Founder/Chairman Gautam Thapar
Industries Paper and pulp, power equipment, energy, chemicals, food processing, IT services, infrastructure
Key companies Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), CG Power and Industrial Solutions (formerly Crompton Greaves), Avantha Power & Infrastructure

Background

The Avantha Group traces its industrial lineage to the Thapar group of companies founded by Karam Chand Thapar in the early twentieth century. Following a restructuring of the wider Thapar family business, a portfolio of companies was reorganised under the Avantha Group umbrella, led by Gautam Thapar, a grandson of the founder. The new identity was adopted in the second half of the 2000s to bring the group's principal companies under a unified brand.

Principal businesses

Paper and pulp

Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT) was historically the flagship paper manufacturer of the group, producing writing, printing and copier paper. BILT operated mills in India and, through its subsidiary BILT Paper B.V., held pulp and paper assets in Malaysia.

Power equipment

CG Power and Industrial Solutions, formerly known as Crompton Greaves, was the group's engineering company manufacturing transformers, switchgear, motors, drives and related power transmission and distribution equipment. The company has a long industrial history in India and operated facilities in several countries.

Energy and infrastructure

Avantha Power & Infrastructure Limited was set up to develop thermal power generation projects in India, including captive and independent power plants linked to other group operations.

Other interests

  • Food processing and agri-products through associated brands.
  • Chemicals and specialty products.
  • Information technology and business process services.

Corporate developments

From the mid-2010s onwards, several Avantha Group companies underwent significant restructuring on account of debt and operational challenges. Lender-led processes resulted in changes of control and ownership at key subsidiaries, including the paper and power equipment businesses, with new investors and resolution applicants taking over operations under the framework of Indian insolvency and corporate debt resolution mechanisms.

Significance

For much of its existence, the Avantha Group was counted among India's mid-to-large private conglomerates, with its constituent companies playing notable roles in the country's paper manufacturing capacity and electrical equipment industry. Crompton Greaves in particular has been a long-standing name in Indian industrial history, while BILT was at one stage among the largest paper manufacturers in India.

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