Doors and windows market opening up

The doors and windows market in India is blooming and coming up with uPVC technologies which offer more than aesthetics
Doors and windows no longer have the same old role to play in filling up the spaces in building structures. Today doors and windows perform multiple functions like letting in the light, keeping out heat and cold, noise attenuation, and so forth. With technical advancement, manufacturers in India are coming up with different technologies for every purpose, making the doors and window segment a huge market in India.
Current status Globally the door and windows market has achieved higher penetration with innovation, technological and design aspects. In India, the doors and windows market is still growing and expected to grow at faster rate with a boost in the real estate projects in the country.
Currently, the Indian doors and windows market generates about ` 45 billion annually and of that about 78 per cent are from wood based doors. “The market is large and growing. This is fuelled by a real estate growth of about 10 per cent CAGR and in the top seven cities closer to CAGR 17 per cent,” says Brian Leslie, Technical Adviser, Canadian Wood from British Columbia.
The furniture market in India is the second largest wood processing segment after logs, making India a fast emerging market for high-end, value-added products. According to Harish Babu P., CEO – Sobha Interiors Division, Sobha Ltd. “The total annual market for prefabricated wooden furniture products in India is estimated to be $1.25 billion of which 15-20 per cent is estimated for prefabricated wooden doors and windows. The branded (higher quality) wooden furniture industry is growing at about 15 per cent annually.”
However, the manufacturing of pre-fabricated doors and windows is relatively new, and the current market is growing at about 10 per cent a year uPVC market in India is still at its nascent stage. “We see great potential in India for Inoutic uPVC windows. At this initial stage, we see a limited number of uPVC products being introduced in the market. This will change as more acceptability of uPVC is there. When consumers see the benefits of uPVC against normal wood and aluminium windows,” says a spokesperson from WinRoyal Windows & Doors Pvt. Ltd.
Challenges facedWith some recent slowdown in the housing and real estate sector, the doors and window market suffered some setbacks. With some positive signs of growth in the real estate sector, the doors and windows market is expected to grow. However, competing with the cheap imports is still a cause of concern.
“Due to sluggish trends in housing sector across regions, the tight cash flow situation has been challenging. However, we believe that is in the past. The economy is looking up, and the demand for real estate properties is also picking up,” comments Mr Babu.
According to the Winroyal spokesperson, “Pricing is an important factor in the Indian market. Heavy import duties and competition from cheap Chinese products will always be a major challenge in the market. Market acceptance is also necessary as uPVC is relatively a new concept in Indian Market.”
As 80 per cent of the door sector is still unorganised, manufacturing practices are inefficient and sometimes product quality is poor. It is difficult for such producers to compete against imports or manufacturers in the organised sector. One of the biggest handicaps is the inability to offer a line of standardised range.
Hardwood plywood has been the mainstay for the flush door market which is about 60 per cent of the market. The log ban in Myanmar has a major and immediate negative impact of the supply of good quality face veneers. The supply of teak has dropped dramatically with the loss of 400,000 CBM of teak round wood from Myanmar, impacting the solid door industry which has about 10-15 per cent of the doors market. “The overall quality of wood supplies is declining with smaller logs, younger trees, and smaller diameters,” observes Mr Leslie.
Focus areasAn expanding Indian economy and increased residential construction will drive demand for windows and doors over the next coming years. With technological advancement doors and windows market in India is gearing up with companies concentrating more on uPVC products as they are low on maintenance yet effective.
Mr Leslie opines, “There are huge opportunities to use substitutes in both the solid door and flush door industries.” Many of these woods are easy to work with, take stains off and finishing well, and are cheaper than traditional woods.
“Our penchant for high-quality products, an eye for details, and the right product mix have helped us stay ahead of the competition. This is visible in all our product portfolios, right from the residential buildings to the home interiors solutions,” says Mr Babu.
Expected growthThe doors and windows market is expecting an increase in growth with the popularity of pre-fabricated use of materials in the market. Manufacturers say that uPVC doors and window products are gradually gaining popularity as they are not only sound proof and eco-friendly but also corrosion and water resistant.
According to Winroyal spokesperson, “We hope more and more builders accept uPVC windows in their projects. We also intend to start fabrication in smaller cities as well to cater local market. There should be also some exemptions from the government as uPVC is a green product.”
“We believe that prefabricated wooden doors and windows as well as factory finished fixed home furniture systems will be the next big thing in the industry,” says Mr Babu.
Commenting on the growth expectation of the doors and windows market, Mr Leslie says, “We need to use more softwoods for both flush and solid wooden doors and use more MDF. Laminated and finger-joined door frames will start taking a share of the market.”
Future outlook With the demand for doors and window market in India set to rise with number of housing and real estate projects taking up. Doors and windows manufacturing companies are geared up to increase their market share by bringing in prefabricated uPVC materials which are gaining popularity.
Companies want to introduce new range of products and concrete their position in the market. “We are among the top uPVC companies with excellent customer satisfaction. In coming years, we will mark our presence differently,” says the Winroyal spokesperson.
The market is large and growing. This is fuelled by a real estate growth of about 10 per cent CAGR and in the top seven cities closer to CAGR 17 per cent Brian Leslie, Technical Advisor,Canadian Wood from British Columbia

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