The Indian Fenestration Industry
The term 'fenestration' is derived from the word 'fenestra' in Latin terminology and is used to refer to facades and openings (typically doors and windows) in buildings and wall envelopes. Although faced with numerous challenges, the Indian fenestration industry has been accepted as an emerging industry looking at the advancement in its size, technology and potential. Today's well travelled customers have started comprehending the actual value of fenestrations rather than treating them as just 'aesthetic elements which act as barriers between the outside and the interior worlds'. Today, there has been no dearth of discussions of energy efficiency in the backdrop of the alarmingly increasing global warming. India, as the highest recipient of solar radiation in the world needs to maximise on the benefits of this renewable power and mitigate the ill-effects in the form of abundant heat gained at places where it is not required. Here, comes the actual value of fenestrations which if designed on ideal principles can aid us in combating such challenges.
The energy efficiency factor in fenestrations has caught up in an unprecedented manner and it has been accepted globally that windows are the 'single most important area in the envelope or shell of the building for preventing energy loss'. Quality products like double glazed and laminated glass are being considered as serious options by users when it comes to sound efficiency, thermal comfort etc.
Newer technological advancements have not only enhanced the design of fenestrations but have also stepped into the management part of their logistics. The days of excel sheets, faulty quotations which would lead to trouble for the fabricator (leading to problems like raw material wastage, errors in profile calculations etc) are over. The market today has versatile softwares for the fabricators like a Window Maker (founded in UK with regional headquarters in Vadodara) that takes care of all these concerns by providing up-to-date information for analysis and decision making.
Materials for Fenestrations
The materials for fenestrations include aluminium, wood, steel and uPVC. Reports suggest that the traditional materials of aluminium, wood and steel dominate the market with a market share of 45%, 25% and 25% respectively; while the newer material of uPVC (which presently has a low market share of 5%) is the fastest growing material. Steel windows haven't been observed to give much performance and have been bogged down by lack of standardisation while the wooden windows market (with limited availability of wood due to environmental concern) is totally fragmented (with individual or group of carpenters working on site) and only a couple of state-of-the-art industrial manufacturers. The introduction of uPVC has been a steadfast initiative to develop fenestrations best suited to the Indian climate.There have been ongoing deliberations on the comparisons between uPVC and aluminium in terms of strength, performance, cost–effectiveness and eco-friendliness . While aluminium scores with its numerous advantages of high strength to weight ratio (making feasible light structures with innate stability), design flexibility (its extrusion enabling numerous range of forms) and its durability, alloys of aluminium make it very efficient for light management and are corrosion-resistant and immune to the harmful effects of UV rays. It has an easy maintenance (a mere routine cleaning is required) that leads to lots of cost savings over the product's lifetime. Other advantages with the material are its environment–friendly nature, various colour as well as finishes availability.
Hindalco has introduced quality aluminium windows under their brand 'Eternia'. This brand contains three sliding and three casement systems from Italy with different typologies (such as external / internal opening, pivot, top hung, tilt and turn etc for casement systems and 2 Track / 3 Track, with fixed frame for sliding systems and mosquito mesh system). Fine quality hardware and accessories (sourced from renowned European companies) ensure effective functioning of the windows.
While uPVC has enjoyed a global popularity over many years, it has recently started getting adequate attention in India. Though with a higher cost as compared to other materials like aluminium and wood, it has some inherent features that are indispensable. It has a heat insulation that has been found to be 2.2 times better than aluminium windows, thus leading to saving of more energy; it gives an excellent sound proofing, is completely self–extinguishing and there is no discolouration when subjected to intense heat and UV exposure. It also prevents condensation. Its multipoint tilt and turn hardware can make the transformation from a sash window to a vertical tilting window easily. As also in the case of aluminium, it doesn't need any special maintenance, is corrosion resistant, has an attractive appearance, is environment–friendly, recyclable and has a high durability. Though achievable at a higher cost, yet uPVC in terms of solar heat gain coefficient and thermal transmittance U values is much superior to aluminium. It is said that the life cycle savings come out to be more incase of uPVC. Its initial challenge of its low aesthetics have also been overcome now, with availability of diverse options in colour and texture; however aesthetically it still can't match the sheer brilliance of aluminium and its joints and corners and the slimmer profiles. It is also suited the best for all weather conditions prevailing throughout India. Its earlier sensitivity to UV rays has also been dealt with technological advancements and by addition of anti-oxidants and stabilisers. The water tightness and sound proofing are also reported to be better in uPVC units due to the difference in the joinery details of both the materials. Incase of aluminium the joints can emerge as areas of weakness as the frame sections can move due to climate expansion and contraction.
Standards for a Quality Product
Mr Khan while stating that uPVC is a multi-level project which requires extrusion, fabrication and installation, admits that there has been no standardisation such as BIS so far, which hampers the marketing of these products in India. Currently, the uPVC doors and windows are still being made as per international standards however reports suggest that the uPVC Windows & Doors Manufacturers Association (UWDMA) is in the process of submitting an India centric draft standard to BIS.In the absence of any industry standards, the aluminium windows market has its share of problems too. "It is a heavily fragmented segment, and in the absence of any regulatory body and industry standards, there is much left to be desired in the quality of aluminium windows. The concept of branded aluminium windows is not as strong in India like in the US, UK and Europe where there are several established brands. However now branded aluminium windows have started entering the Indian market and when branded products are available, one is certain that some science has gone into designing and developing these window systems and that there is consistency in quality. On the other hand uPVC windows have emerged quickly to capture 3-4% of the windows market, aided by heavy advertising," explains Mr Jayagopal.
Challenges for Marketing
