Ahmedabad: Duravit India Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Duravit AG, a Hornberg, Germany-based ceramic bathroom fittings manufacturing firm, launched its factory at Tarapur, 120 km away from Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Wednesday.

“The factory, set up at an estimated investment of Rs 120 crore, will initially produce 500,000 pieces of ceramic bathroom fittings,” Ashutosh Shah, managing director, Duravit India Pvt Ltd said at the inauguration function.

This is Duravit AG’s first factory in India and 10th globally.

“We intend to double the capacity in the next 2 years at an estimated investment of Rs 15 crore. Our investment in doubling the capacity will not be as much as setting up the main factory because we already have installed some of the additional machinery needed to enhance the production,” Shah said.

He said the Duravit India has set first-year revenue target at around €30 million (Rs 179 crore).

Duravit AG’s annual turnover in 2009 stood at €300 million, Shah said.

“This factory will mainly cater to the Indian market however, if there are surplus goods then we will export it to South Africa which is the nearest export market for us from India,” said Franz Kook, chairman and chief executive officer of Duravit AG.

About the local market, Kook said the Duravit India already supplies ceramic bathroom fittings to Indian realty and hospitality firms like DLF, ITC, Raheja and Taj Group and the factory would smoothen the supply process as the firm will not have to import the products anymore.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the facility at Tarapur said that he would like Duravit AG set up a hockey institute in Gujarat as Kook is a former hockey player.

Kook had first visited Ahmedabad way back in 1962 to participate in the International Hockey Tournament as a player from German team.