Mr. D Raju
Managing Director
Kirby Building Systems & Structures India Pvt Ltd, and
Global Head, Kirby International
As pioneers and one of the global leaders in the field of pre-engineered steel building systems (PEB) outside North & South America, Kirby Building Systems has contributed significantly to the industry and learnt many things in the course of manufacturing over 90,000 buildings, across 70 countries. Mr. D Raju, Managing Director, Kirby Building Systems & Structures India Pvt Ltd, and Global Head, Kirby International, in conversation with CE&CR, shares his views on Pre-Engineered Buildings (PEB) – its current trends and the future.
Civil Engineering and Construction Review: Give us your assessment of the business and the marketshare occupied by PEB. Which are the demand driving regions and segments across India?
D Raju: PEB is the short form of Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings, which is also referred to as Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings. The current market size of PEB is estimated to be between 650,000 MT to 700,000 MT per annum and is rapidly growing, mainly because of infrastructure and industrial segments. The sector is further expected to witness high growth in coming years, owing to various initiatives taken by the Indian government in the form of large scale reforms, policy amendments, etc. Government´s focus on manufacturing and infrastructure development, along with rapidly growing urbanization and increasing middle income population has accounted for the overall growth of the construction sector. With faster project completion and sustainable construction that is eco-friendly and green in nature, there has been an increase in demand for steel structures across various industry segments.
CE&CR: What are the strategies adopted by the country’s PEB manufacturers to explore new growtharenas?
D Raju: PEB industry has grown leaps and bounds over the last two decades but it is yet to achieve its true potential. This is completely achievable as the industry consisting of top organized players is maturing to take it to the next level of growth trajectory. The industry is overcoming many challenges by continuous knowledge sharing across seminars, conference, industry forums, colleges, education curriculum, etc. to the target audience, thereby increasing the popularity. Thus, a huge opportunity awaits this industry, especially in manufacturing sector and commercial high rises and this growth story is poised to continue in coming years.
Kirby is leading the path of new growth arenas through its new and innovative designs, systems and processes and construction techniques, thereby making the industry well-equipped to overcome all the limitations as well as capable to handle any type of project across different industry segments. With its rich experience and continuous learning at each and every stage of executing more than 25,000 diverse buildings for different industry segments across India, Kirby over the last two decades has evolved with new type of construction methodologies. This has enabled to complete the buildings in a much faster and safer way without any obstacles.
Warehouse Building – Haryana
CE&CR: Give us an understanding of the benefits of using PEB structures in meeting growing verticalmomentum in construction projects?
D Raju: The industry has ventured into unknown territories which were never thought of, thereby creating newer application areas for structures that are highly customized and unique in nature. Kirby India has already ventured into construction of residential and commercial buildings either completely in steel or composite form, which is slowly being accepted by builders and developers as being witnessed in major cities across India. The company has already executed many high-rise buildings for commercial and residential segments and is currently executing over G+20 floors commercial office buildings. This will definitely increase the demand for steel structures in the coming years. Kirby India being a leader will continue to achieve excellence and create new benchmarks for the industry. As for the future, we strive to grow in coming years and aspire to become one of the most preferred partner in the country for any type of steel construction. We are committed to take the company to newer heights with newer businesses and our customer centric and innovative approach with the support of all our stakeholders.
Racking Solutions
CE&CR: Technology has been ever-changing in the infrastructure segment. Elaborate on the type ofdemand surge seen in the recent years?
D Raju: Kirby India has grown manifolds over the last few years from simple box like buildings for warehouses to very complex industrial buildings to high rise structures. The company is now adapting new innovative methods across design, fabrication and construction, which has widened their scope of operations. One of the important factor that has gained prominence over the last few years is safety at jobsites whether small or large. Kirby India has improved and implemented many innovative safe practices across all its jobsites by providing training to all the manpower and Certified Builders on safe erection practices over these years of operations and continues to do so to have incident free sites till project completion.
Kirby India already has state-of-the-art world class manufacturing facilities located at Hyderabad and Haridwar with each one having an annual installed capacity of 100,000 MT. Both the facilities are well-equipped with latest machineries for any type of steel fabrication and quality laboratory, consisting of all equipment for testing. This has resulted in both the facilities being accredited with ISO 14001: 2015 and OHSAS 18001:2017 certifications. The Hyderabad facility was recently further enhanced with addition of most advanced machineries, such as CNC Sawing and Drilling Line, CNC Plate Drilling Machine (for high thickness plates), Structural Steel Bevel Cutting Machine and other balancing equipment. This enhancement will further strengthen Kirby India’s manufacturing capabilities and enable us to provide very high and quality finished buildings to all our customers thereby able to meet any type of requirement – industrial, high rise commercial complexes, car parks, hotels, bridges, flyovers, etc.
CE&CR: How does PEB contribute to sustainable construction?
G+12 Data Center – Mumbai
D Raju: India is world’s fastest growing economy and its rapidly growing younger population is driving the domestic consumption story; leading to evolve ways of sustainable growth including construction. PEB is one of the choices when it comes to sustainable and eco-friendly construction, as steel is 100% recyclable and can be re-used for making other products infinite amount of time without loss of quality. These buildings are also referred to as green buildings, which has caught the attention of many builders, developers, etc. across India and is making inroads across all types of construction. Kirby India is in the forefront of this innovation and is leading the green construction in the country through its PEB technology, thereby contributing to the green building movement. These buildings are cost-effective, energyefficient and provide better quality environment, as they are cooler in hot conditions due to the favourable roofing material, suitable insulation and natural ventilation. The use of skylights and solar panels mounted on rooftops of industrial buildings also meet daylight and captive power requirements, which reduces the dependence on power supply from other sources. Effective usage of insulation material, louvers and other materials also help in temperature control and rain water harvesting. This will lead to a viable construction methodology as it has all the green benefits, dry construction, saving of natural resources, etc., thereby using environmental friendly material.
CE&CR: What is the scope of PEB in the post-lockdown scenario?
Metro Station – Hyderabad
D Raju: Post implementation of GST and granting of infrastructure status to the logistics segment by the Indian Government, India has witnessed rapid growth in the warehousing segment with e-commerce industry being one of the key growth drivers supported by government’s initiative of creating world class infrastructure by setting up warehouses and cold chains across India for storage of food grains, vegetables, household consumption products, other goods, etc. and also encouraging corporates to develop logistics parks. India’s fast changing demographics consisting of rising middle class, younger population, increasing disposable incomes and various other factors are leading to increase in domestic consumption accompanied by change in habits.
This has led to rise of e-commerce industry, and the growth of warehousing for storage of all types of goods, which is very near to the customers and can easily meet their requirements.
E-commerce and warehousing are expected to play a major role for the PEB industry in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as they are the major sectors generating demand for the pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB). Other sectors which are likely to play a key role in the post lockdown scenario are pharmaceuticals, packaging, food processing, consumer goods, etc., thereby driving the demand for steel buildings.
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from “Empire State”, the nickname of the state of New York. The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and stands a total of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall, including its antenna.
The skyscraper, featuring 2.1 million square feet of rentable office space, stood as the world’s tallest building until the construction of the World Trade Centre in 1970; following its collapse in 2001, the Empire State Building was again the city’s tallest skyscraper until 2012. As of 2020, the building is the seventh-tallest building in New York City.
Construction
The design of the building changed 16 times during planning and construction, until it was ensured to be the world’s tallest building. But 3,000 workers completed the building’s construction in record time: one year and 45 days, including Sundays and holidays. Construction started on March 17, 1930, and the building opened afterward on May 1, 1931.
The construction itself is a model of efficiency, based on the emerging principles of industrialism, assembly lines and division of labour. To maintain the strict schedule, pieces like steel beams and stonework were prepared off-site, then delivered ready to be inserted into place by workers. A series of hoists and narrowgauge tracks inside the building moved the pieces to the topmost floors, while large external winches were used for heavy stone pieces. Workers perched hundreds of feet above street level as they riveted steel girders.
While the project was considered very safe for the era and complexity, six workers died. As many as 3,000 workers were at the job site at one time, with the weekly payroll sometimes approaching $250,000. Because it would have been impossible to get all the workers down from the site, then back up again in a timely manner for their lunch break, food concessions were placed every few floors.
While the project was considered very safe for the era and complexity, six workers died. As many as 3,000 workers were at the job site at one time, with the weekly payroll sometimes approaching $250,000. Because it would have been impossible to get all the workers down from the site, then back up again in a timely manner for their lunch break, food concessions were placed every few floors.
The 80th, 86th, and 102nd floors have places where people can look at the city from high above. There is a steel mast on the top of the Empire State Building. The builders wanted to have an airship station on the roof, but the station was not opened.
Steel Structure
The Empire State Building is composed of 60,000 tons of steel, 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone and granite, 10 million bricks, and 730 tons of aluminium and stainless steel. With its steel columns and beams, 62,000 cubic yards of concrete, 6,514 windows, and 73 elevators in 7 miles of shafts, the Empire State Building is a feat of 20th-century engineering.
The steel columns and beams form a stable 3-D grid throughout the entire structure. But since such closely spaced column grids obstruct open spaces in buildings, there are virtually no open spans, or column-free spaces, on each floor of the Empire State Building.
The steel frame of the building was protected by iron oxide and linseed oil paint when it was delivered from the steel mill, and then it was covered with an asphalt coat to resist it from breaking down when it was brought into contact with cement. All the steel columns were fireproofed with cinder concrete, so all the steel is encased in concrete, which, of course, makes the building not only strong, but fireproof.
Exterior
The Empire State Building’s art deco design is typical of pre–World War II architecture in New York. The modernistic, stainless steel canopies of the entrances on 33rd and 34th Streets lead to two-story-high corridors around the elevator core, crossed by stainless steel and glass-enclosed bridges at the second-floor level. Further, the exterior of the building is clad in Indiana limestone panels sourced from the Empire Mill in Sanders, Indiana, which give the building its signature blonde colour.
Interior
The Empire State Building was the first building to have more than 100 floors. It has 6,514 windows; 73 elevators; a total floor area of 2,768,591 sq. ft (257,211 m2 ); and a base covering 2 acres (1 ha). Its original 64 elevators, built by the Otis Elevator Company, are in a central core and are of varying heights, with the longest of these elevators reaching from the lobby to the 80th floor.
As per the final specifications of the building, the corridor is surrounded in turn by office space 28 feet (8.5 m) deep. Each of the floors has 210 structural columns that pass through it and provide structural stability.
Innovative Systems
The fact that the building is considered a New York City and National Historic Landmark has not slowed down its progress. In 2011, the Empire State Building was awarded LEED Gold for Existing Buildings certification as further recognition from the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program. The Empire State Building is the tallest and most well-known building in the U.S. to receive LEED certification.
The Present
Today, visitors can ascend to the Empire State Building’s observation deck for an unequalled view of New York City. It is open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM, seven days a week, and costs $18 for an adult ticket. This allows access to the 86th floor observatory. The 102nd floor is accessible as well but costs an extra $15. You can enjoy the view for free with the official Empire State Building Web cams.
Amrita Batra
Associate Editor
Civil Engineering and Construction Review
MAPEI India, the leader in manufacturing and supply of construction chemical products are happy to introduce the “Easy to Apply” range of products to the market. For the easy availability and small packing with added advantage of “do it yourself concept”, the first list of products has been chosen in such a way that you can apply these products yourself for the problems generally found in every house.
The details of “Easy to apply products” are given below:
Mapecoat DW25 is an easy to apply, two-component epoxy paint used to form a coating for use on concrete surfaces that are in contact with drinking water and foodstuffs. Mapecoat DW25 is applied by mixing Part A and Part B. This is used for the residential water tanks after cleaning. This paint gives a protective coating to the concrete surfaces. Mapecoat DW25 is certified by CFTRI for food grade usage and is available in a 5 kg pack.
Mapeflex AC4 is an easy to apply paintable acrylic sealant for movements up to 12.5 per cent with a smooth effect. It is available in 310 ml cartridge.
Mapeplast Super is an integral waterproofing and superplasticier mixed easily and used for concreting or plastering. Mapeplast Super is available in 1 kg bottle.
Mapesil LM is an easy to apply neutral mould-resistant silicone sealant with very low emission level of volatile organic compounds (VOC) for stone and marble. Mapesil LM generally forms an excellent bond on non-absorbent substrates too, such as glass, ceramic, clinker, enamelled surfaces, water and solvent-based varnish, metals in general and on various types of plastic. It is also suitable for contact with absorbent mineral substrates, such as concrete, render and fibre-cement. It is available in different colours as a 310 ml cartridge.
MapeSlope is an easy to apply one-component cementitious levelling mortar for building up slopes on roofs over new and old waterproof sheaths. MapeSlope is a mortar used to level off substrates with hollows on roofs or substrates that are out of flat in order to re-establish slope enough for water to run off and to make them suitable for the application of a waterproofing product. The product is available in 5 kg bags.
MapewallPlaster is an easy to apply polymer modified premixed cement-based plaster. It can be used on interior and exterior wall surfaces. It is convenient, easy to use, strong and bonds better to its substrate. Further, it provides an even surface, on which tiling can be done faster and efficiently. It is available in a 1 kg pack.
Planicrete SBR is an easy to apply additive, which improves the mechanical and adhesive characteristics of cement-based screeds, renders and smoothens the layers. It is available in 5 kg and 1 kg packing
Planiseal 88 Grey is an easy to apply osmotic cementitious mortar suitable for contact with drinking water, for waterproofing masonry and concrete structures. Planiseal 88 grey is used for waterproofing concrete or masonry tanks containing sewage water and is available in 1 kg packing.
Planiseal 88 White is an easy to apply osmotic cementitious mortar suitable for contact with drinking water, for waterproofing masonry and concrete structures. Planiseal 88 White is used for roof waterproofing, which gives added advantage of cool roof. It is available in 1 kg packing.
Planiseal288Plus is an easy to apply two-component normal setting cementitious coating for waterproofing and protecting concrete and is available in 5 kg (4 kg + 1 kg) kit.
KerapoxyCleaner is an easy to use special cleaning solution for epoxy grout, suitable for cleaning operations after completing laying work and for removing traces and stains of epoxy grout from the surface of ceramic and glass coverings. It is available in 0.75 kg spray bottles.
Mapei India is also planning to add few more products in the “Easy to apply” basket shortly.
Apart from these retail products, Mapei India also specialises in the following product lines for the project supplies:
Mr. Amit Malhotra
Leader, McCoy Group
Managing Director, McCoy Soudal
McCoy Soudal is one of the largest manufacturers of Sealants, Adhesives and Polyurethane (PU) Foams in India. McCoy Soudal is a JV between McCoy Group India and Soudal NV Belgium. Soudal NV is one of the world’s largest players in this field, with 19 manufacturing plants, 65 subsidiaries across the globe and product availability in more than 138 countries. Mr. Amit Malhotra, Leader, McCoy Group and Managing Director, McCoy Soudal, in conversation with CE&CR, shares his views on the progress of the adhesives and sealants industry, the current trends in the market, the impact of COVID-19, and more.
Civil Engineering and Construction Review: Innovation in the construction chemicals sector is thriving. Which new technologies have been adopted in the adhesives and sealants segment?
Amit Malhotra: A variety of chemicals and advanced materials — ranging from elastic adhesives to polymer composite — are increasingly being used in the buildings and construction industry. Many benefits, including enhanced strength and integrity, and overall systems cost reduction accrue to a construction or building project by using these materials. So, it is not surprising that the future growth rate for construction chemicals is expected to show the most incremental growth emanating from the Asia-Pacific region. An uptick of construction and building activity driven by rapid urbanisation and growing population is expected to be a major impetus behind this impressive growth.
New technologies are coming in the Indian construction sector for fast and quick work. Post COVID-19, Indian consumers are also focusing on DIY (Do-It-Yourself ) concept. McCoy Soudal offers many DIY products for end-users for gap filling, sealing and bonding applications. McCoy Soudal Fix ALL High Tack is a high quality, one-component adhesive sealant based on SMXpolymer with a very high initial tack for sealing and bonding. It can be applied in the building and construction industry, which includes elastic bonding of panels, profiles, and other pieces on the most common substrates (wood, MDF, chipboard, etc). It can also be applied on elastic structural bonding for the car and container industry, joints in bathrooms and kitchens, underwater applications, mirror bonding, etc.
For insulations and gap-filling applications, McCoy Soudal offers polyurethane foam. Soudafoam Pro with CFC-free propellant is onecomponent, self-expanding, and ready to use polyurethane foam. It contains CFC-free propellants, which are completely harmless to the ozone layer. It has excellent adhesion on most substrates such as concrete, wood, PVC, and aluminium.
PU foam offers high thermal and acoustical insulation properties and has very good filling capacities. There are many areas where you can apply PU foams, like installation of the windows and doorframes, filling of cavities, sealing of all openings in roof constructions, creation of a soundproof screen, mounting and sealing of window- and doorframes, connecting of insulation materials and roof constructions, application of a soundproofing layer on motors, improving thermal isolation in cooling systems, among others.
CE&CR: People are inclined towards cheaper construction adhesive and sealant options over superior quality products. How do the companies with quality work survive in this mixed market?
Amit Malhotra: In the construction industry, awareness of highquality elastic adhesives and sealants are still in progress. As one of the pioneers in the sealant industry, we believe in the quality of products. Our service to the customers makes our products more trustworthy. We not only supply products to our customers but we provide end-to-end solutions to customers which is the key factor for a high-quality product company like ours. We have to provide customer experience, and not just deliver the product.
CE&CR: How crucial is the availability of trained applicators in ensuring product benefits? What is the company’s approach to skill development?
Amit Malhotra: Elastic adhesives and sealants has always been a great challenge to engineers and specifiers. With the increased complexity of structural movements, a growing concern for leakages in the concrete structures has carved the needs for diverse technologies for ages. Numerous technologies have emerged since then, but many went into oblivion, obviously because of the field failures.
In India, new technologies fail due to unskilled applicators. It is reported that 60-70% of adhesive and sealant failures are due to application errors, which implies the significance of the role of applicators. Surface preparation is very vital in achieving the optimum performance of the sealants and quite similarly, parameters like selecting the right products, sufficient induction time, and the right mode of application to achieve the desired output are all very significant. We at McCoy Soudal, conduct ‘Applicator Training Seminars’ regularly at our training centre, inviting applicators from every corner of the country. As a manufacturing and an innovative company, we focus on awareness programs of technologies, and provide trained applicators to customers. We run training programs to develop trained applicators and provide supply–apply solutions to our customers. We also provide application guidelines and videos of applications to customers and applicators on regular basis to stay updated with new technologies.
CE&CR: What are the factors driving the demand for adhesives and sealants? What is the market share of adhesives and sealants in the construction chemicals segment?
Amit Malhotra: The elastic adhesives and sealants market is projected to grow from USD 16.4 billion in 2019 to USD 22.3 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2019 and 2024. The growth of end-user industries such as construction, industrial, and automotive and transportation as well as the growing demand for silicone and SMP adhesives are the key factors driving the elastic adhesives and sealants market. Elastic adhesives and sealants provide improved aesthetics in various applications such as windows, consumer durables, and glazing by limiting the use of screws, nails, fillet bonders, and lightweight fittings. These are widely used in applications such as glazing, flooring, and assembling.
There is an increasing demand for adhesives and sealants in the glazing and window panel applications. The glazing and window panels in many new high-rise buildings are not only attached with screws but are bonded with adhesives, as they provide better joining properties, aesthetics, and longer bond life. These buildings have improved aesthetics and provide outstanding UV and weathering resistance. Bonding window panes and window panels using elastic adhesives and sealants offer several advantages such as vibration dampening, lesser assembly time, excellent finish quality, and lower requirement for cold-conducting metal frames in panes and panels. The developed infrastructural designs, architectural setups, and the advantages of glazing are majorly driving the demand for elastic adhesives and sealants.
However, the rate of acceptance of elastic sealants is still low from end-users. This low acceptance rate may be due to the lack of awareness about the availability of elastic adhesives and sealants, or the end-user preference to use conventional sealants. End users are satisfied with results obtained from the conventional adhesives and sealants even though these lack the advantages of elastic sealants but serve the purpose of bonding substrates together. To maintain the lower costs of end-products, manufacturers still neglect additional benefits such as improved flexibility/elongation, impact/thermal cycling resistance, peel strength, and long-term durability, which can be obtained by using elastic adhesives and sealants.
CE&CR: Do you perceive the entry of small-scale industries in the specialised construction chemicals area as a threat?
Amit Malhotra: Any small scale or big scale company that comes into the market helps the industry to grow, and spreads awareness of using the right product or solution for the problem. The current issue is the lack of awareness of applications and selecting the right products.
The current threat for the whole segment is price-cutting and not giving right solution to the customers. Indian standards are the area where the industry should focus on and that will allow quality products in the market to grow
CE&CR: What according to you will be the emerging trends in the construction chemicals industry, post COVID-19?
Amit Malhotra: COVID-19 did impact the industry. The small scale material import cut-down will help the “GO LOCAL BE VOCAL” campaign in India. Also, Indian consumers are focusing on DIY (Do-It-Yourself) concept due to safety measures. McCoy Soudal offers many DIY products for end-users for gap filling, sealing, and bonding applications. Also, our products are available online on various e-commerce websites like www.mccoymart.com, where customers can directly place an order without any problems.
For further inquiries and applications, kindly check our website: www.mccoysoudal.com and MCCOYSOUDAL youtube channel.
Mr. Santhosh M Prakash
Vice President (Product management),
Mapei Construction Products India Pvt. Ltd
Mapei manufactures chemical products for the building industry and their products have been used in thousands of projects all around the world, from large-scale projects to commercial spaces, from residential projects to works of public interest. Mr. Santhosh M Prakash, Vice President (Product management), Mapei Construction Products India Pvt. Ltd. in conversation with CE&CR, shares his views on the progress of the adhesives and sealants industry, the current trends in the market, the impact of COVID-19, and more.
Civil Engineering and Construction Review: Innovation in the construction chemicals sector is thriving. Which new technologies have been adopted in the adhesives and sealants segment?
Santhosh M Prakash: Innovation is about creating better ways to do things, as well as developing satisfying products or services. Quality products cut down the future renovation costs. Further, simple materials, especially for the retail market is very much necessary in this difficult time. For the same reason, Mapei has come up with ‘ETA – Easy to apply’ range of products for retail segment in easy to handle packaging. We have introduced a wide range of products which help the customer apply the product themselves with help of very basic tools. We launched our resilient adhesive segment last year and are expecting a good growth in the coming years. This is one area where we do not have any good quality products in the market meeting the international standards. We hope to upgrade the customer to use quality products.
CE&CR: People are inclined towards cheaper construction adhesive and sealant options over superior quality products. How do the companies with quality work survive in this mixed market?
Santhosh M Prakash: As you said it is a mixed feeling in the market, at Mapei, we always give priority to quality and service. Cost sometimes is the deciding factor, but people will realise later the importance of quality. We should always remember – ‘You buy cheaply, you pay dearly’. The initial cost might be less today, but when we look at the overall cost during the service life of structures, one would end up spending many times more in repairing the structures. Repair and rehabilitation is always a costly affair and we do not get always the 100% desired satisfaction and quality work. It is only a matter of time people will understand the importance of quality, and will come back – one should have patience and should wait for it.
CE&CR: How crucial is the availability of trained applicators in ensuring product benefits? What is the company’s approach to skill development?
Santhosh M Prakash: Applicators are very important for any kind of job applications. We produce materials which are actually the raw materials for the customers for their job site. Until and unless it is applied as finished goods in a proper way, it will be useless to the customer, no matter the quality of our product. For this reason, we have opened an Excellence Centre at our Vadodara factory – a-state-of-art training centre. At the Excellence Centre, we showcase the different systems, the right application methods, proper detailing required, etc. We give regular training to our applicators on new systems and products. It is very important for applicators to share their experience on the products and regular discussion programs are conducted to exchange the views and experience on different product segments. Onsite training programs are also conducted for site specific requirements and this would help them understand the job site conditions and requirements in a better way.
CE&CR: What are the factors driving demand for adhesives and sealants? What is the market share of adhesives and sealants in the construction chemicals segment?
Santhosh M Prakash: We have just started marketing our sealants and this is not the moment to talk about the market share. Adhesives has a good share but there is a lot more to do. Still, the market trend is to use cement and sand, and we are fighting against the same. Resilient adhesive is a new segment, and there is a need to create awareness in the market at the moment. Given the situation, the products which meet the safety and health standards would be the one accepted in a longer run. Also, we need products that can be used/ applied in an easier and simpler way without requiring expensive tools and tackles. The product should be simple and yet robust.
CE&CR: Do you perceive the entry of small scale industries in the specialized construction chemicals area as a threat?
Santhosh M Prakash: The more the number of companies in the market, the more it is good for business. Awareness on use of construction chemicals in India is very less compared to the other developed markets. Small scale industries will also help in creating awareness at the local levels and can only be advantage for the overall business. But, what is worrying is the lack of standards in India. This will lead to a sub-standard quality and a price war, which is not healthy for the business. We need some standards to be in place so that we bring out only quality product in the market.
CE&CR: What according to you will be the emerging trends in the construction chemicals industry, post COVID-19?
Santhosh M Prakash: It is too early to predict anything as we are still understanding how the market will shape up post COVID. Though we don’t see a very big change in near future, COVID has definitely has given us a big opportunity to go local and cut down on imports. We need more and more products to be manufactured locally.
G+12 Data Center – Mumbai
Metro Station – Hyderabad
Factory Building – Gujarat
