Leading float glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain Glass India says by and large it has not been affected by the economic slowdown.
Though large-sized “iconic” building projects with extensive glass faade…
Leading float glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain Glass India says by and large it has not been affected by the economic slowdown. Though large-sized “iconic” building projects with extensive glass faades are not coming up, the company sees good opportunities in medium-sized buildings of 50,000 – 100,000 sq ft (4,645 – 9,290 sq m) especially in smaller centres driving growth, according to managing director Mr B. Santhanam. This calls for the company to increase its marketing and sales efforts in the smaller centres. “We have largely not been affected by the slowdown. In fact, we have increased market share,” he says. At the same time, Saint-Gobain Glass India, a subsidiary of the French glass maker Saint-Gobain, is working on new products that are unique to Indian or tropical conditions. It also sees good prospects in fire resistant and safety glass and those for interiors. According to Mr Santhanam, one of the problems in a dusty country like India is cleaning the glass. Furthermore, “there are more bird droppings per square feet in India than anywhere else”. The company is looking at glass coatings that will make cleaning easier. For Indian conditions, the company is working on products that will let in more light and reduce heat; the glass will have to let in nearly 40% of natural light and cut out 80% of the heat, which is extremely difficult to achieve. He said the new government in Rajasthan had reviewed and cleared the company“s greenfield project at Bhiwadi, for which Saint-Gobain had signed an agreement with the previous government in mid-2008. The company had taken possession of 150 acres (60 hectares) of land for the project.