Tata BlueScope Bullish on the Prospect of India's Roofing and Cladding Industry
What is the market size of roofing industry? Is it still dominated by traditional asbestos and galvanized steel sheets? What are the new types of roofing products that are becoming popular in India and why?
The total market size of steel roofing industry is approximately one million tone. The Indian market has witnessed a major shift from asbestos and galvanized steel sheets to Zn-Al coated sheets. Asbestos consist of carcinogenic material, has low strength and cracks easily. Also, increased corporate and public awareness about climate change has resulted in new initiatives like green building concept and elimination of carcinogenic materials.Moreover, Zn-Al coated sheet provides excellent atmospheric resistance in a wide range of environment under many diverse conditions.
What are the driving factors for the growth of Zn-Al coated, metal and colour coated sheets for roofing purpose?
Aesthetics, superior technology, durability, thermal efficiency are some of the significant driving factors for Zn-Al coated sheets. Performance of 150 GSM Zn-Al coated material is four times longer than 275 GSM Zn coated material.
A word about Tata BlueScope Building Products.
Tata BlueScope Building Products is a division of Tata BlueScope Steel Limited. The company is an equal joint venture between Tata Steel and BlueScope Steel, Australia in the field of coated steel, steel building solutions and related building products.The company operates in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. It maintains high standards in the area of Safety, Health and Environment; and has been certified by UL MSS India for ISO 9001:2008 as well as for the ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001 certifications.
Could you please share more details about your manufacturing facility and its production capacity? Please mention some of your major projects under the roofing segments? What is your market share?
Tata BlueScope Building Products is the largest player in roofing and wall cladding segment. The company has world-class manufacturing facilities, strategically located at four locations across the country. We offer total solution to our customers. With strong construction capability and best safety practices, we have expertise in reroofing and retrofitting solutions.
Some of the prestigious projects executed by Tata BlueScope Building Products are stadiums for Common Wealth Games, Delhi and Bengaluru Metro stations, Airport buildings for Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai,Monorail for Mumbai, Mahindra Automotive Ltd., BHEL, Bharati Shipyards etc.
What are the products you offer for the roofing sector? What are the advantages of your products over the traditional ones?
Tata BlueScope Building Products manufactures and sells roll-formed roof and wall cladding solutions as well as light-weight PEB structures.
The division primary offers LYSAGHT® range of products that include:
- Concealed Fixed Roofing Systems with on-site roll forming facilities
- Screw-Down Roofing and Wall Cladding Profiles
- Accessories such as TRIMS, Skylight, Louvers
- Structural products such as Purlins and Girts, Decking Systems
Having a strong legacy of over 150 years, the LYSAGHT® brand is globally recommended by architects, engineers, developers and government bodies. Application of the LYSAGHT® brand is majorly demonstrated in industrial, commercial, infrastructural and residential segments.
Is there any technological innovation taking place in the roofing industry in India? What is the level of awareness among the consumers about the innovative products?
Roofing industry has witnessed a paradigm shift in the last few years. With increased investment in infrastructure projects, customers are demanding durability, flexibility along with aesthetically pleasing designs.
It is observed that customers are shifting from conventional screw-down system to concealed fixed system. In screw down system, the screws are exposed to the atmosphere. Due to poor workmanship and use of low quality fasteners they often leak and rust. On the other hand, in concealed fixed system, sheet sare fixed on clips which in turn are screwed on purlins, this reduces the chances of leakages.
What are the new trends in the roofing market?
Roofing industry in India is preparing for the next generation of ambitious projects. Growth in the infrastructure and industrial segment has been a major demand driver for roof and wall cladding industry. It has registered a double digit growth over past three years. Major shift is observed from clay tiles and conventional roofing system to metal cladding solution. Customers are looking for architectural solution which provides innovative shapes such as convex, concave in addition to new attractive colors. The future of roof and wall cladding industry is bright considering the low steel penetration and high demand in construction industry.
What are the challenges for the roofing industry?
The presence of large organized players is limited in the roofing industry.Unavailability of skilled manpower for installation, low product quality and lack of safety awareness are the increasing challenges for roofing industry.
Having set several benchmarks for safety in the industry, our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities have achieved ISO 14001:2004, environment Accreditation and OHSAS 18001:2007 on Safety system. Safety is an integral part of our core values and an essential condition for employment. We regularly educate our stakeholders – employees, customers, builders, suppliers, partners, on best safety practices.We constantly aspire to achieve "Zero Harm" for all our stakeholders in all forms of activities.
MGS Architecture May - June 2012
