Aluplast On Expansion Drive

According to Arun Sharma, Managing Director, aluplast India, the industry needs more skilled fabricators as there is demand for more functionally efficient fenestration systems



How has the Indian market grown with respect to modern fenestration systems such as uPVC?
In India, most houses still have wooden or aluminium windows and doors, and the uPVC windows and doors market is highly unorganised. Only in a few metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR, Bangalore, etc, uPVC has been replacing wood and aluminium. However, the Indian uPVC market is expected to continue to grow at a rate of 7percent.

However, the unskilled labour force in India continues to be a problem. It is difficult to find skilled personnel for window fabrication. We conduct monthly training in our plant in Vadodara where we have set up a training centre with European machinery. Also, product knowledge amongst the end-users as well as builders and architects is still very less. It is to create product awareness that we are bringing out a magazine called ProfessionalWindow, in which we publish articles related to various issues in the uPVC industry.

What differentiates aluplast products from other brands?
'aluplast' has been at the forefront of innovation in the fenestration industry. We have designed the Energeto profile system without steel reinforcement as we have seen that customers are increasingly getting aware of the need for energy-efficient fenestration. Our Fold & Slide and Lift & Slide systems are other sought-after products as they provide wide and high openings which are in fashion. In terms of colour options, we offer laminated profiles in several wood finishes etc, and our aluskin system can be powder coated in any colour. We have seen that customers prefer coloured windows and doors instead of the regular white ones.

We are 100% lead-free and non-toxic. Many players cannot say that about their profiles. We are the only company in the industry that provides co-extruded gaskets which enhance the insulation properties of the final windows and doors and make the fabrication easier and less prone to errors. Our systems provide the highest insulation values with U-Values of as low as 0.6W/m2 deg K. Our products are especially designed to withstand the intense local climate and will not show any discoloration etc. Our systems provide for big openings with heights upto 10 feet. The several durable colour options described above provide for appealing window and door designs at a high quality level.

On the basis of aluplast's uPVC window and door profile systems, any conceivable window and door design can be realised. As we follow a system approach in which all our products are included, our systems are compatible with each other and common parts like glazing beads can be used in all systems, which makes fabrication easy and keeps the stock levels of our fabricators low. All our raw material which we use in our Indian plant is premixed in our mixing plant in Karlsruhe, Germany, which is Europe's most modern uPVC mixing plant. With this, we ensure uniform quality levels across all our production units.

What new growth opportunities do you foresee for aluplast products in the Indian market?
aluplast India has been present since the last 10 years and has been growing with the uPVC market. An extrusion plant in Vadodara, the company's first in Asia, was inaugurated in April 2016. aluplast uPVC window and door systems are the most technologically advanced and durable window systems available in India, offering functional efficiency for many years. aluplast ranks amongst the world's top brands in supplying innovative uPVC fenestration systems. Today, it is a global player with offices and plants in almost 30 countries.

As the economy is improving, more high-end construction is taking place, as a result of which, the market size for better quality windows and doors is expanding rapidly. As the advantages of uPVC become more known, the market share of uPVC will increase. People in India are increasingly becoming aware of the need and benefit that well-insulating and well-functioning windows and doors provide. And there is a need for more skilled fabricators to meet demand for high quality systems.

At the same time, competition amongst manufacturers is also growing. To increase our brand visibility and presence, we are pushing our partners all over India to open more showrooms. We are also participating in many trade fairs, and we hold seminars and training sessions for the construction and doors/windows fraternity, where we showcase our products and discuss the issues at hand.