Research & Development |
ITC is committed to delivering world-class products and services. This requires a clear focus on continuously striving to create a higher value to customers by achieving excellence in all Company's operations. Business excellence calls for a passionate focus on technology, products, services, processes and an operating environment firmly anchored to an impregnable foundation of Quality.
ITC firmly believes that quality is not a specifically assignable task. It needs to be firmly rooted and institutionalized in the culture and value system of the Company. ITC nurtures a culture of striving for continuous improvement in quality, be it in products, services, systems or performance. The Company is committed to the establishment of systems and processes to promote organisational creativity and innovation.
ITC's development of its Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) is based on its strong foundation of implementing ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, SA 8000, HACCP (for Foods) and IQRS (performance rating and benchmarking of the quality management system). Likewise, ITC's strategic initiatives for developing its people have been based on participative management concepts like QC (Quality Control), TQM (Total Quality Management), KSS (Kaizen Suggestion Scheme), 5S, Six Sigma.
All ITC manufacturing units have ISO quality certification. Almost all contract manufacturing units in the Foods Business and all large hotels have food safety and quality systems certified by accredited 'third party' in accordance with 'Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points' (HACCP) standards. Additionally, the quality of all FMCG products of the Company is regularly monitored through 'Product Quality Rating System' (PQRS). The Leaf Tobacco and Printing & Packaging businesses have achieved world-class ratings in the 'International Quality Rating System' (IQRS) for business excellence in which key processes are rated against international benchmarks and certified by accredited 'third party' independent assurance providers.
ITC's Research & Development Centres
At ITC's Research & Development Centres at Bengaluru, Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry, the Company has assembled a pool of world-class scientists focused on providing the requisite r&d support to its established and new businesses enabling the Company to consistently attain internationally benchmarked quality standards and constantly offer product innovations.
ITC r&d Centre at Bengaluru provides systemized service to the entire range of ITC's businesses through Product Technology Cells, Common Service Modules, Advanced Research Initiatives and networking with national and international r&d centres.
Product Technology Cells (PTCs) are product-specific. Each PTC caters to the needs of the businesses through Market Intelligence, Product Testing & PQRS services, Prototyping services through advanced pilot plants, flavour and fragrance development services, periodic audit of factory quality systems and Product Knowledge and Training Workshops.
PTCs assist businesses through sensory evaluations by highly trained and specialised panelists. Common service modules like Packaging and Advanced Analytical labs offer their services across all businesses.
ITC r&d Centres are manned by highly qualified and trained scientists specialised in their fields. The labs and pilot plants have ultra modern, state-of-the-art testing and prototyping facilities. The laboratory at Bengaluru has obtained accreditation from NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration of Laboratories) for ISO 17025 for key testing protocols.
ITC Corporate r&d located in Bengaluru undertakes research programs for multiple ITC businesses built on a common set of core competencies. The initial sets of core competency areas identified are: Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agronomy, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Silviculture, Cell Biology, Proteomics, Genomics, Biochemistry and Ingredient Sciences. The facility aims to create 'Centres of Excellence' in these areas.
ITC's r&d programme at Bhadrachalam is the core of the Company's fibre strategy for its Paperboards and Specialty Papers business. This state-of-the-art research centre is consistently striving to improve the productivity of several tree species, in order to give attractive land-use alternatives to traditional farmers and wasteland owners. So far, more than 100 high-yielding, fast-growing and disease resistant 'Bhadrachalam' clones have been produced on a commercial scale, including 23 site-specific clones adapted to problematic soils. The productivity of these saplings is 6-9 times that of normal seedlings.
ITC's comprehensive r&d facilities at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh cover all aspects of tobacco crop cultivation. In collaboration with the Central Tobacco Research Institute and the Tobacco Board, ITC pioneered FCV tobacco cultivation in India and introduced the Burley and HDBRG varieties. ITC's continued focus on crop development has resulted in new varieties of seeds and hybrids in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, which have significantly improved farm yields and helped fulfill the demands of a dynamic global market.
The Company's r&d team collaborates with other centres of excellence, and leverages expertise from several leading institutes including the University of Agricultural Science, Bengaluru; Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; CSIOR, Australia and CSIR, South Africa.
Catering to the need of ITC's Lifestyle Business is a contemporary master Design Facility at Gurgaon. It offers r&d facilities that have enabled the Company to offer internationally benchmarked fashion collection every season.