“Yes it is catching up at the highest pace that any country has seen so far! India has an installed capacity of 185,000 MT for WPC and it is still adding. A country like India with a huge scope of infrastructure development has yet to see the real pace of growth. Going to be the largest population of the world within next few years only, India will need massive quantities of natural wood and we don’t have that much!!! At the same time India is using WPC in the highest number of applications, world has ever seen.” panel discussion started by Hardik Panchal, CEO, Hardy Smith. A panel discussion created a huge interest amongst the prominent participants from all over the world counted as 900 attendees representing 356 organisation from 26 countries.
Dr J K Taylia, CMD, Echon Industries graced the panel as a Moderator with his exhaustive experience and contribution since last 22 years. Being one pioneer he consented that WPC industry’s growth has largely picked up at a good pace with variety of application and usages. Started with Hardik Panchal presentation giving an overall idea of growth and coverage of WPC Industry in the country, he conveyed a clear idea for increasing the consumption of sustainable – substitutes. WPC is one great wood substitute. Completing 10 years in the industry as a pioneer, we have seen ups and downs for material resources in the country. Largely depending on the import substitutes for wood, we are sending enough money out of the country.
Deepankar Garg, Director, Alstone said, “This is the time now to take things seriously. We influence the construction industry, its veterans, architects, interior designers, landscapers, furniture manufacturers for a large acceptance and awareness of wood polymer composites (WPC). Deepankar Garg & Hardik Panchal loudly cleared about the quality compromises going on with conventional filler addition practices and their implications. They together with Dr Taylia insisted strongly for improving the quality and standards of WPC products in the country.” During other sessions from Foreign players & Astral (Sandeep Engineer), it was a common voice for not spoiling the Vinyl Industry by selling products in weight basis (with large filler contents). They given examples of shut down units because of such wrong practices.
Dr Ajay Karmarkar, Director Technical from Konspec and Prakash Bhargava, CMD, Cooldeck also influenced on quality of WPC products being manufactured in India. They both shown their positive satisfaction about the overall growth of the industry and new products being added. Anand Mehta, MD, Five group talked about the availability of technical manpower in the country for WPC Industry. He insisted for local development and manufacturing of global standard dies and moulds within the country.
Vinyl India & Elite Plus Team under the blessings of Kamal Nanavaty, Reliance – gets heartily thanks from all the WPC panellists and speakers on behalf of the entire WPC Industry for concentrating on this very important subject for the country.
Conclusion of the panel discussion: The World is sincerely looking for substitute products of natural resources those are sustainable, reusable and recyclable. WPC is largely one of them. Entire WPC Industry is positively marching ahead with parallel issues like quality and standards. There are professional players being added and some unprofessional players are moving out of the game as well. This experience is teaching the industry that ‘finally quality and standards will win’.
The theme of the panel discussion was maintained with the initiative ‘USE WPC. Save trees. Save earth.’