Growing Polish group Can-Pack, the company behind the UK's newest canmaking facility, is to continue its international expansion with an £80m investment to double its production capacity in India.

According to local reports, the company, which has recently invested around £40m in Scunthorpe to build the UK's first new canmaking facility for 20 years, is planning to increase capacity to 2bn cans every year at its plant in Aurangabad in the north-east of the country.

The facility currently produces around 750m cans every year. But Can-Pack India president and chief executive officer Harsh Japoo told the Indian Business Standard that the group would follow the growth of Indian demand and increase capacity over the next three to four years.

He said: "Based on market support, we plan to increase our production capacity by investing an additional Rs 500-600 crore (£70-80m) in India. We want to tap the market as we are unique in the packaging segment,"

"The packaging industry is directly linked to the GDP and we expect a good growth in the years to come," he added.

Can-Pack's expansion is not confined to India and the UK, however. In recent years it has outgrown its Polish roots and acquired or set up businesses and factories across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and India.

CAN-PACK TIMELINE

2003 New beverage can factory in Ukraine
2005 New beverage can factory in Romania
2006 Subsidiaries acquired in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Turkey
2007 Factory start-up in Dubai; acquisition of crown cork maker Tapon France
2009 Start-up of production of 44cl cans at plant in Scunthorpe, UK; joint-venture company established in Egypt; start-up of beverage can factory in Aurangabad, north-east India