CCMA: Focuses on Maintaining High Business Standards

"The formation of Construction Chemicals Manufacturers Association (CCMA) has been hailed as a positive development. It would provide a forum for Construction Chemicals Manufacturers to promote the interest of its members in commerce and industry in India. In addition, it would also identify and discuss common problems faced by the Construction Chemicals Industry and evolve solutions, including exchange of information amongst its members. As a body, CCMA is to stand out to continuously raise awareness amongst construction chemicals manufacturers to maintain high standards and business ethics in manufacturing and also in services provided to the end users. With these developments, CCMA is set to become the voice of the Construction Chemicals Industry," says Mr. Samir Surlaker, Managing Director, MC-Bauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd. and President- CCMA in an interview with S.K.Khanna.

It is quite heartening to know about the formation of CCMA, theidea of which was in the air for quite some time but now has become a reality. Why has it taken so long to come into the picture? Is there any significance of its coming to a reality in the current context?
Today is the age of fast track construction in India. Construction both residential/commercial and infrastructural has seen an immense growth spurt. Keeping pace with this growth, quality and durability is the need of the hour in the construction industry and can only be achieved by efficient use of construction chemicals.

According to FICCI, the construction chemical Industry which now stands at around Rs.1800 crores has potential to cross Rs.5000 crores in next five years. The growth in the construction industry, combined with the increasing demand for faster and safer construction, will certainly propel the growth of the construction chemicals industry.


The key objective of the association will be to promote the growth of the construction chemicals industry by raising awareness and quality standards and to communicate with the government, chambers of commerce, regulatory bodies and other forums, both at the local and international. FICCI organized a National Seminar on construction chemicals.

The response from construction chemical manufacturers is positive with leading companies willing to join to form a strong Apex Body. Raw material suppliers to the industry, local as well as transnational companies have shown keen interest in joining the association in the capacity of associate members. With this development, CCMA is set to become the voice of the Construction Chemicals Industry.


All in all, construction chemicals positively contribute to concrete durability and sustainability. Construction chemical industry in our country has been a combination of organized and unorganized sector. In the present context, to propel the industry forward, and to raise awareness & technical know-how, the leading manufacturers of Construction Chemicals have announced the formation of their representative body, Construction Chemicals Manufacturers Asso- ciation (CCMA).

What are the aims and objectives of the CCMA?
CCMA’s Aiims and objectives are:

• To provide a forum for Construction Chemicals Manufacturers to promote the interest of its members in relation to commerce and industry in India, and in particular, to identify and discuss common problems faced by the chemicals industry to arrive at solutions, including exchange of information amongst its members.
• To educate the members through seminars, meetings, get-together, exhibitions, etc. on provisions of various central and state enactments and their amendments.
• To promote and accelerate the growth of the construction chemicals Industry in India by collecting and disseminating statistical and technical infor- mation and creating awareness to maintain high standards among users.
• To be a constructive forum to communicate with Governmental bodies / Associations, Chambers of Commerce and other commercial, industrial and public bodies within or outside India to promote the objectives of the association.
• To present itself as a body to continuously raise awareness amongst construction chemicals manufacturers to maintain high standards and business ethics in manufacturing and in the services provided for the benefit of end users, through continuous education programme by means of training and upgrading the skills of personnel by organizing workshops, conferences, lectures, seminars, disseminating information through periodicals or journals, books, institution of scholarships, fellowships, awards, and encouraging research studies, in the field of construction chemicals.
• To subscribe, to become a member of or otherwise affiliate or cooperate with any other body in India or elsewhere for which the association has common interest to establish, cooperate with, or receive into the association or otherwise assist any association or accept affiliation of any other association having objective similar to those of the association.
• To establish just and equitable standards and principles in construction chemicals manufacture, trade and commerce and to regulate the conduct and practice of construction chemicals trade and manufacture.
• To do all such acts, deeds and things as may be necessary and conducive to manufacture, and development of trade and commerce in relation to or incidental to the construction chemicals industry, in the promotion or attainment, or in the overall interest of the objectives of the association.

What are the important issues CCMA proposes to take up with Government policy making and implementation bodiesfor the well being & progress and development of the construction chemical business in the country?
CCMA has formed a commercial committee to deal with issues related to construction chemicals industry. The data is being collected from all states on VAT/ST rates as it differs from state to state. Further there are different rates for different construction chemicals which create non level playing ground. The committee will approach the government to rationalize these differentiated rates. Further as this is new and growing industry, we are intending to request for some concessions in import/excise duties. We plan to involve FICCI/CII etc to this effect.

An apex body can be as effective as its members would like it to be, what are the parameters governing membership to CCMA so that itremains a proactive and an effective forum?

In today’s industrial environs, product lines encompass construction chemicals are admixtures and additives for concrete, Prebagged cementitious mortars for application in construction (e.g. grouts, tile adhesives, wall putty, concrete repair mortar etc.), Injection materials for concrete and soil stabilization, Chemical systems for waterp- roofing/ weatherproofing, Polymeric/ resinous products for improving and/or protecting concrete (e.g. Liquid applied resin flooring, polymers for mortar modification, adhesives for concrete and mortars etc.), Sealants for expansion and construction joints, fibres for use in concrete, cement grinding aids and performance enhancers, Auxiliary products for concrete works (e.g. curing compounds, mould release agents), etc.

The parameters governing membership in CCMA based on the product lines include:

For ordinary member

• Essentially a construction chemicals manufacturer in India
• Experience of >5 years in India or abroad
• Net worth in India > Rs.10 Mio
• Presence in at least four categories

For associate members

• Manufacturers but not qualifying in any of the above criteria
• Suppliers, distributors, applicators and all other trades incidental to construction chemical industry

The various membership categories are:

• Patron Member
• Honorary Member
• Ordinary Member
• Associate Member
• Profession Associate Member
• Affiliate Member

What are CCMA’sorganizational plans to make it an all India body, covering all regions in the country?
CCMA which is formed very recently, can boast membership of over 25 companies from all over India. To strengthen the organization and develop regional memberships, we plan to open regional centres initially in Gujarat, Chennai and Delhi headed by active local members. In Gujarat, we have already arranged a regional meeting of manufacturers to appraise them about benefits of joining CCMA in next 3/4 months. We shall have similar regional meeting in Chennai for South India and Delhi for North India. We are confident that our membership will reach 50 in next 3 months which would be quite an achievement for CCMA.

CCMA has plans to have an international seminar on construction chemicals during November this year. How would this event help CCMA to achieve its objectives, particularly in promoting knowledge and exposure to further the cause of civil engineering professional in general and promoting the best technical and business practices in particular for the construction chemical sector compatible with changing domestic and global business environment?
As indicated one of the main aims of CCMA is to increase awareness of end users in benefits they can derive by usage of Construction Chemicals. Seminar will focus on this cause. The participants would be end users, specifiers, govern- ment decision makers etc. The seminar will focus on problems faced by decision makers to specify these products with confidence. International speakers will also be invited who can instill confidence in local civil engineering fraternity about benefits of using construction chemicals. In this direction, we have also offered honorary membership to two international luminaries who are active in the field of concrete technology viz. Professor Ravindra K Dhir OBE, Emeritus Professor of Concrete Technology at University of Dundee UK and Mr. Willie Kay, past president of Singapore, Concrete Institute Singapore as both of them are actively involved in interaction between their countries of Residence and India. This is our main aim.

One of the main objectives of this seminar is to create trust among end users by creating standard- ization and transparency. Training programs would be held all over India for applicators because application is a very important aspect of the very success of waterproofing and repair systems. A further idea was to get a marking on construction chemicals to increase the confidence of the end users. The CCMA has requested support from the entire industry fraternity and associations to help the body in achieving its aims and objectives for the betterment of durability of structures.