Balancing function and design: Durlum

Deependra Singh, Director, Durlum India Pvt Ltd says innovation in the lighting industry would be mainly focused on improving efficiency of lighting thereby increasing the importance of lighting control systems in future.

How has durlum utilised the market opportunities?
durlum India Pvt Ltd is a member of the German based durlum group of companies, internationally known for their design and expertise in manufacturing metal ceiling, lighting and daylighting systems.

We believe that high-quality innovative products and providing first hand technical support are the best ways to ensure customer satisfaction. Our team engages with architect, consultants, clients at the outset of a project, and our team ensures solutions irrespective of the demands from the stakeholders.

In India, the focus had been on the metal ceilings industry majorly; the market has been largely dominated by tiles-based standard ceilings for a very long time. However, in the last few years, we are witnessing a gradual shift in more customised metal ceilings solutions which are aesthetically and functionally superior. This shift has given space to companies like us to bring innovative ceiling solutions to the market. Additionally, to effectively communicate our offerings, we are trying to educate the industry on the advantages of using functional metal ceilings and the inherent value benefits. Furthermore, functional products also warrant the need for skilled workers. We have established team of skilled and trained workers who are able to execute projects across the country. We also have experience partners for the office segment who are representing our range of products.

Please tell us about the metro projects that the company has executed and the ones that are in the pipeline?
As a manufacturer and installer of high-quality metal ceilings at metro stations, Durlum has supplied and installed metal ceilings in over 30 stations throughout India in the last few years including Delhi Metro, Jaipur Metro, Kochi Metro and Noida Metro. Currently, we are working on Lucknow Metro stations with Tata Projects Limited.

Due to our vast experience, we take account of all the specific requirements for sound, noise, fire and durability at railway, metro and underground stations. Our specialised design team supports architects, engineers, general contractors and clients at the very early stages of their planning to provide the best solutions and products available in order to make every project unique, sustainable and economic.

Discuss your achievement in the airport space? How do you plan to tap the market opportunities in the same?
For millions of individuals, an airport terminal is the gateway to a nation, the first and sometimes only impression passengers get of a city and country. All the parties involved in the beginning of the project have only one objective: to create an impressive and one of a kind building that is an enticing entrance to a nation while remaining commercial and informative public building. Ceilings play an important role in achieving the emphatic design statement which an airport terminal requires.

Delhi International Airport, (terminal 3 with domestic and international piers) was the first major project with metal ceilings for durlum in India. The project itself posed a particular challenge as durlum had to handle more than 130,000 sqm of purpose built metal ceiling in a specified period of only six months. In addition, durlum was not only responsible for the supply-side but also for the design, construction management and supervision of installation.

durlum was also a part of the ceiling supplier for the state-of-the-art Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL). dur-graphics wood-print texture, installed in different areas of the airport, emphasises the emotional approach whilst still providing all the advantages of a metal ceiling.

Besides this airport, we have supplied and installed metal ceilings at Bhubaneshwar Airport, Tirupati Airport, Vadodra Airport, Vijaywada Airport, Goa Airport and Indore Airport (lighting).

The future for the airport projects is promising with huge potential for growth but nothing is being offered on the platter currently. Our approach has always been driven by the focus to find and build our market. Our infrastructure team is continuously working with key architects in the segment and focusing more on specifications at a very early stage.

What are your thoughts on the lighting industry in India? How important has ‘innovation’ proved to be for the industry?
The lighting industry is incessantly evolving and the lighting fixtures manufactures like us have to continuously keep up the pace with new technologies in the segment and adapt quickly to the changes. Our key business comes from project lighting segment where our fixtures are usually designed to meet the specific performance requirement of clients, architects, lighting designers, or electrical installers.

Innovation in the lighting industry would be mainly focused on improving efficiency of lighting thereby increasing the importance of lighting control systems in future. Beyond saving energy, lighting control systems have several benefits when combined with LEDs. It can increase the life-time of the LED light source, which improves the investment economics even further.

Please tell us about the future plans and innovations for the industry?
At durlum, our objective is to cooperate with our partners to create individual, made-to-measure solutions, which provide an optimum combination of function and design.

We guide our activities in consciousness of our responsibility for the people dependent on our company and the environment. It is important to us that our products are made in an ecologically compatible manner – we use recyclable materials and solvent-free powder-coatings. durlum has already implemented day lighting systems internationally that have been setting standards worldwide. On the lighting side, our focus will be on continuous research and development (R&D) to provide advanced daylight and lighting control systems.

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