September 28, 2024

In an exclusive interview with Pravin Prashant, Executive Editor, Indian Chemical News, Thomas Roemer, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Coatings and Adhesives, Covestro Deutschland AGA shared his views on industry trends, customers' expectations, current and projected demand of Trimer, market share, and new applications. Excerpts of the interview:

Key industry trends with respect to Trimer?

Trimer aliphatic crosslinker is an essential ingredient in high performance polyurethane coatings. Polyurethane coatings based on Trimer as crosslinker can deliver customized chemical and mechanical resistance along with excellent weathering resistance and appearance and thus are preferred for coating transportation vehicles such as automobiles, metro/railway coaches, buses, aircrafts, steel in infrastructure projects among other applications. 

In many applications, there is focus on higher chemical resistance, faster drying, improved mechanical properties such as flexibility as well customers expect solutions for reduction of VOC content and improved process efficiency. Low viscosity trimers are most suitable for such applications. Water based coatings are more and more preferred and specified in many applications and demand will grow in future. All these trends will drive Trimer demand and where we see a lot of growth.

How is Covestro geared to meet customers' expectations?

We have already been manufacturing TDI derivatives and Biuret, an aliphatic crosslinker in India. In Ankleshwar, we have been the first company to produce Biuret, an aliphatic crosslinker in India and we have now seen a surging demand in Trimer so we have built a production plant for Trimer production. You know, we also have an application development laboratory in Mumbai. We usually get the first call from Indian customers when it is about innovation and therefore, we are investing in application R&D and production resources into India. This is how we are trying to meet our customers’ expectations.

Current demand of Trimer products globally? Projected demand for Trimer in the next three years?

The demand for trimer products is projected to grow globally slightly above gross domestic product. Therefore, we usually estimate the growth to be around 4% and Indian demand is of course amazing.

The amount of per capita paint consumption in India as per sources and our assessment is less than five liters per capita. In Germany and in Western Europe and North America, it is ~15 liters per capita. This is three times higher which is, however, only half of the story for Trimer because the key figures are penetration of high-performance Polyurethane (PU) adhesives and coatings in the industry. I have learned that in India the PU penetration, as per internal estimate, is also less than five percent while in Western Europe and North America it is around 20.

When I am in India, I don't look at the GDP or the global demand for Trimer. I look at the vast potential in India and this if you multiply three times more paint per capita, four times more PU penetration, you easily come to tenfold demand numbers, and this is why we have come here. With local production, I would say it will be at least double the demand for Trimer here in India going forward in a few years. This is not something that we will see only for one time but for many years.

What is the current market share of Covestro globally in Trimer?

We do not give specific numbers, but we consider ourselves the leading raw material supplier in the coatings and adhesives sector globally.

Can you throw some light on how you are planning to increase your base through new products globally?

There are multiple types of Trimers in our portfolio. The Covestro’s portfolio of coatings and adhesives raw materials are not only focused on the cross-linking part but also focused on total solution, with resins included. In this context, Covestro is one of the global leaders in coatings and adhesives resin or binder providers. With acquisition of DSM’s Resins & Functional Material business in 2021 which has added to the historically strong polyurethane expertise of Covestro, significant insights regarding Acrylics and certain areas of Polyurethane Dispersions. One cannot be the most innovative R&D coatings company if it only focuses on one of the components. Thus, we are in position to offer a ‘total solution’ to our customers.

I would like to mention two areas that our R&D labs are working on to increase our market presence. First, is renewable energy. The windmills would not be as productive without our coatings used in leading edge protection coatings. For solar panels, we have back-sheet coating solutions and frame coating solutions. Second, an industry which is a bit unintuitive because it is a long-standing industry, and one connected with lots of innovation is print and packaging. The trend goes into recyclability and mono-material systems, and this is now possible with a very good barrier coating solution and with excellent solutions in the adhesive arena. We can move from multi-layered systems that are not recyclable at all into areas where it is possible. This is the trend globally and we are researching and will commercialize soon.

What are the new applications which Covestro is focusing on to increase its market share?

We have made a very large acquisition recently and this was significantly above 1 billion euro that we have spent on a portfolio in coatings and adhesives. We are still fascinated by bringing together the scientists of both companies by learning about the vast opportunities that the combination of acrylics and polyurethanes can have. Therefore, the chance of a new acquisition is relatively slim as we first want to first tap into the vast potential. We are a chemical company with the broadest technological toolkit in coatings and adhesives, and presently we have only scratched the surface. Our radar is always on, and I am not excluding anything, but we have more than enough ammunition in our laboratories to solve lots of unmet market needs and therefore we are not looking for additions.

How many global facilities do you have with respect to Trimer? With the launch of the Ankleshwar facility, what is the additional capacity that you are planning to add to the overall global Trimer capacity?

This is the fourth dedicated facility that we have. We have a joint venture with Sumitomo in Japan which is also producing Trimer. As per our company policy, we do not give away the exact capacities. For the Ankleshwar site, we have invested more than 20 million euros (around Rs. 200 crore).

We have built the plant regarding two things. First, we believe, and we are very sure that we can cater to the local demand for the upcoming years. Second, we also have room for expansion and when additional capacities would be required, and this is more important than the pure capacity that we have brought leading products from our global network into India. We will produce a low viscosity Trimer that some of our older derivative units cannot produce globally. From my perspective, it is worth even more and shows our trust and belief in the Asian market.

September 10, 2024

Gerardo Munoz, Senior Solutions Marketing Manager, Aspen Technology, Inc. spoke exclusively to Pravin Prashant, Executive Editor, Indian Chemical News on industry trends, size of sustainability and CCS/CCUS market, solutions offering, and strategies for achieving a net-zero world. Excerpts of the interview:  

Top five industry trends related to sustainability?

Emerging from the pandemic and the following challenges, the chemical industry is undergoing a monumental shift to reposition itself for success in the next decades. Energy efficiency, carbon neutrality (Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions), digitalization, circularity & green chemistry are top five sustainability trends in chemical manufacturing.

With the start of war in Europe, there is greater importance for chemical manufacturers to have access to energy and feedstocks. Improving energy efficiency in process and utilities has become a top sustainability initiative. The goal includes curbing Scope 1 emissions, as well as keeping the operation economically viable. 

To reduce Scope 2 emissions, companies look for low-carbon electricity supply, green power purchase agreements (PPAs), and renewable energy certificates.

To reduce indirect Scope 3 emissions, chemical companies are evaluating value chains and adopting circular economy principles. This can include sourcing raw materials more sustainably (bio-based or generated waste), optimizing logistics to reduce fuel consumption, and improving the efficiency of production processes. Digitalization and digital tools can uniquely position chemical companies for long-term success in reducing emissions and achieving both circular and economic goals. Finally, green chemistry and the value of less toxic/non-toxic chemicals and the environmental and health benefits associated with this change has been discussed for decades.

Size of sustainability solutions market? What are the solution types offered under sustainability?

Global pledges call to make an urgent transition from fossil fuels to clean and affordable energy sources by reducing emissions, tripling renewables, and doubling energy efficiencies. To meet global climate goals, the world must speed up the pace of development of innovative decarbonization and waste reduction technologies to advance to net-zero, and rapidly scale those solutions, addressing the needs of a growing population while ensuring business continuity and sustained performance.

This presents a big opportunity globally. IEA estimates that in 2023 more than US $1.7 trillion was invested in clean energy, including renewable power, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emission fuels, efficiency improvements, and end-use renewables & electrification. Investments in sustainability also expand to capital projects. As an example, the total value of today’s capital project backlog of announced CCS and CDR projects is over US $129 billion (IEC and HP databases).

Sustainability solutions offered by AspenTech for chemical and petrochemical verticals? Where does AspenTech’s solution stand vis-à-vis competitors?

AspenTech has been the leading digital solutions provider for the chemical industry for over 40 years. We have decades of experience in optimizing chemical processes to help our clients save energy and lower emissions. The capability to measure GHG emissions has been embedded in Aspen Plus for years now. We provide tools and technical expertise in all areas of sustainability from processing biofeed stocks to incorporating renewable energy sources in micro-grid management. To help our users with modeling sustainability processes, we have created a library with over 150 sustainability models accessible to all our users. The models range from carbon capture to waste plastic pyrolysis, Li-ion battery recycling, water electrolysis to make green hydrogen, and many others. We constantly update and upgrade our offerings to make certain we address the industry's needs.

What is the size of the CCS/CCUS solutions market globally and in India? What is the size for chemical and petrochemical companies both globally and in India?

According to the Global CCUS Institute (Global Status Report, 2024), in 2022, the Indian government announced the establishment of two National Centres of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilization to focus on research and development. These centres act as centers for collaboration and other initiatives related to carbon capture and utilization.

The same report noted that in Asia Pacific, CO2 transport and storage facilities under development (17) make up the largest category of facilities in the region, followed by natural gas processing and chemical manufacturing – 15 and 10 facilities respectively.

A total of 12 facilities are operational (of which, five facilities have commenced operations in China between 2022 and 2023), eight under construction, and 34 under advanced or early development.

While India is still in the early stages of CCUS deployment, compared to other countries in the region and globally, there is large potential for these technologies, as India emitted 2.9 billion tons of CO2 in 2022, representing 7.6% of the world's total emissions.

The CO2 capture capacity of all CCS facilities under development increased 48% between 2022 and 2023 with about 200 new facilities added to the development pipeline. However, these numbers are still short of reaching the targets.

Discuss top five industry trends related to CCS/CCUS globally?

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining traction globally to enable CCUS at a wider scale to improve productivity, create competitive advantage and support product innovation, among other applications. Industrial AI is an approach where industrial and scientific domain expertise provides the guardrails around AI to ensure the accuracy and safety of the results of AI applications.  

Applying Industrial AI in carbon capture processes can provide agility in screening thousands of innovation options – allowing companies to quickly evaluate thousands of (possible) solvents and project designs. In identifying the most efficient, economical, and scalable processes, such tools are helping to develop more efficient carbon capture. For example, AspenTech and Aramco are using generative AI and machine learning (ML) approaches to speed up material discovery for CO2 capture and low-carbon pathways.

In operations, digital modeling and simulation tools, combined with edge instrumentation, using the hybrid modeling approach, which combines AI with first principles, provides digital twins that provide feedback to improve economics, performance and reliability.

How many CCS/CCUS facilities are operating globally to date, and how many are under development? How many facilities are using AspenTech’s solutions, and how have they benefited? 

According to The Global CCS Institute 2024 report, there are over 41 projects in operation and 351 in development globally, with new projects being announced weekly. This represents a 100% increase in projects under operation or development from 2022 – 2023.

As a leader in industrial software, AspenTech provides a comprehensive, holistic approach to asset optimization across design, operations and maintenance. Multiple carbon capture facilities have been designed using AspenTech software by EPCs (Engineering Procurement & Construction). However, details of this cannot be provided.

It is worth noting that Technology Centre Mongstad, the largest carbon capture demonstration facility in the world, uses AspenTech Performance Engineering solutions to support optimization of carbon capture technologies. Commercially available technologies today were also developed using AspenTech process simulation tools over a decade ago, including Shell’s Cansolv and Fluor’s Econamine solvents. Direct Air Capture (DAC) companies like Carbon Engineering and Carbon Capture, Inc. have relied on AspenTech to improve economics of the technologies and support commercial scale development.

What are the CCS/CCUS solutions offered by AspenTech to chemical and petrochemical companies? What is the unique selling proposition (USP)?

Throughout the CCUS value chain and across the asset lifecycle, AspenTech combines the power of AI with our domain expertise to support the development of scalable carbon capture and carbon storage solutions, prioritize investment decisions, improve efficiencies and have visibility across all stages of the value chain.

Integrated digitalization strategies with AspenTech solutions help chemical and petrochemical companies ensure long-term business resilience throughout the CCS value chain across these areas:

* Techno-Economics: Process simulation helps to further optimize processes, identifying the right tradeoffs between capture efficiency and energy use.

* Investment Certainty: Dynamic, event-driven modeling guides investment and operational decisions to maximize profits across the lifecycle while identifying uncertainties and bottlenecks to mitigate financial risks.

* Project Scale-up and Execution: Model-based cost estimation provides insights to rapidly define scale, size and economic feasibility. AspenTech’s concurrent engineering workflows accelerate project development by improving collaboration between stakeholders.

* Carbon Capture Operations: Advanced process control technologies improve process stability and reduce energy use in key unit operations. Design models can be used to train operators and improve operational decisions.

Challenges faced in the implementation of CCS/CCUS deployment and how are you planning to minimize it?

AspenTech does not focus on implementation and deployment of CCS/CCUS technologies. However, AspenTech solutions help engineering companies to rapidly scale-up, size, and cost digitally. 

How is CCS/CCUS positioned for a strategic role towards the net-zero world?

CCUS, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors, is featured in the Paris Agreement’s first Global Stocktake outcome from COP28 as part of a list of zero and low emission technologies to act on and accelerate. Carbon capture with underground geologic storage is one of the solutions that will enable the energy transition, while carbon removal is needed to decarbonize hard to abate sectors and remove historical emissions to get to net-zero.

To make a significant impact to net-zero, advanced innovation is needed to reduce the cost and energy footprint of carbon capture at scale. Together with geologic storage, carbon capture can provide a solution for safe and long-term containment of CO2 over time.

August 24, 2024

Competitive landscape of the Indian paints and coatings industry?  

There is a paradigm shift in the paint industry, prompting a lot of companies to jump into the fray. The scope and scale for paints and coatings business in India is huge as per capita consumption is at 3-4 kg per annum as compared to 15 kg in developed countries. Moreover, there are four stages of transformation that have happened in the Indian economy. These are digitalization, formulation, structural change and sustainability, ESG or SDG. Within these four structures, there is a huge amount of indigenization happening along with increasing usage of digital platforms at all levels. People are aware of the situation across the world. There is transparency and clarity with respect to the consumers’ mind making the paint company more agile & Flexible. Market is extremely volatile and uncertain, complex and ambiguous. In this particular scenario, if one needs to survive then one's mindset needs to match with the industrial mindset. Organizations need to develop a situation based strategy to combat the uncertainty and should be based on flexibility & adaptability.  

Strategy India should adopt to become a global manufacturing hub for paints and coatings? What role Berger sees for itself in making India a global hub?   

People are already thinking of India as a global hub due to transformation. We are third in unicorn in the world after the USA and China. India has huge intellectual capital and talents are available at a much cheaper rate. There is a thrust from the government on Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Vocal for Local initiatives. We have self-belief and mindset that we can do this. The ‘can do attitude’ and the ‘never say die spirit’ is making India more vibrant, tolerant and progressive. Similar factors are applicable for the paint as Indian infrastructure, defence and many other sectors are preferring Made in India products. There is a need to develop innovative technology or tie up with someone who is having technology to get it produced in India. In this process, we will also learn and hence the knowledge base will increase in terms of technology and manufacturing facilities.  

What is India’s current status in the global paints and coatings market and where do you see it going forward?  

It is very good to see Indian companies already in the Global Top 20 list. We are Number 14 in the world and there are other giants also there in the Top 20 global list. We are number two in the country, fourth in Asia and in Protecton (Heavy Duty Protective Coating), we are by far the market leader. In December 2023, we crossed 100 years of our existence and celebrating the Centenary year and Berger is the fastest growing paint company in the country. Our major thrust is on value innovation and ease of usage of our paint to the customer.  We believe in quality, reliability and delivery. It is not only product innovation but also innovation in process and marketing tools. Innovation is our basic theme in the whole scheme of thoughts. 

What's the total size of Protecton business globally and in India? What's the market share of Protecton?  

It is very difficult to share exact market size of Protecton because any surface which is prone to corrosion be it concrete or steel, needs protection. Protecton market in India, particularly for heavy duty protective coating, is around Rs. 5,500 - 6,000 crore in India. Berger Paints market share is approximately 25 percent. 

How has Berger Paints and Protecton business performed in FY 2023-24? 

All the major paint companies which were not there earlier and also the existing companies that are not focusing on Protecton have increased their focus because they realized the growth potential. Even the Government of India is spending a huge amount of money in terms of infrastructure, especially the Gati Shakti initiative and huge expansion on railways, ports, airports etc. There is a 5% increase in the Railway Budget and there is a huge amount of focus in the airport sector. Wherever infrastructure is there, be it roads, factories, boats, shipbuilding, airports and railways, the construction and protection chemicals are used. Railway itself is a huge investor .; there is a huge amount of investment in designing the bullet train, bullet train stations and lots of other activities. Opportunity for Protecton is extremely huge and everybody can have some pie. We have prepared very well to catch the bus. Hopefully, we will achieve a good number in 2024-25 and last FY we crossed Rs. 1,000 crore.  

Overall, the paint industry market was not so flamboyant because flow of money is little problematic despite opportunities. There were huge problems in the working capital flow and that's why the business was sluggish in the initial stage. There is a tremendous amount of innovation required to protect margin. Hence, the past two quarters were not that good and hopefully we will be covering up in the third and fourth quarter. 

Orders bagged by Protecton business in FY 2023-24? What portion of it comes from overseas? Any plans of expanding business outside India?  

We have bagged huge orders and among all such orders, we are basically focusing on non-conventional energy. We have received big orders from Reliance Industries through the PV, like Kilby and others. We are very much focused on railway sectors and have got the first two orders of bullet train stations. We are also going to get more orders for bullet train stations as well as bridges. Again, we expect orders coming from marine segments through our partners. There is also business coming from new sectors. We got good business from Indian Oil. We have done our first venture in ONGC also. Moreover, we have done well in the power sector, be it nuclear power, thermal power, hydel power and non-conventional like solar power and now focusing on wind power as well. As far as the chemical sector is concerned, we are working very closely in segments wherever there is a high level of corrosion. We are focusing on construction chemicals like floor coating, admixtures, grout and sealant. These sectors are equally important and growing in the same way as infrastructure. Having a leadership and good relation with the customers, we are also trying to push these segments as well and that will be another good driver for us in years to come. 

Countries that Protecton is focusing on currently and countries where you are planning to expand?  

We are already present in Nigeria and have executed business in Kenya and Mauritius. We have our own plant in Russia. Also, we are having a presence through our subsidiary in Europe. We are present in Bangladesh and Nepal. While we are already there in a number of countries, we are now looking at taking our business to other countries in Southeast Asia, Saudi Arabia and African countries and further explore Europe. There is a huge amount of scope and we are exploring it. 

What's Protecton business plan for FY 2024-25 and how are you planning to execute it?   

We are growing at a CAGR of 17% since 2017. From a turnover of Rs. 349 crore, we will be closing FY 2023-24 at Rs. 1,100 crore and by FY2026-27, will be definitely crossing Rs. 2,000 crore. We have a strong focus on the dealer segment and we have to focus on the infrastructure segment. Third one is the new margin sectors like construction chemicals, admixtures, and flow coating. Export is the fourth pillar among key drivers to take our business to the next level.  

55 percent of our business comes from the dealer network and it is helping us to grow. This is not a normal dealer network as they are acting as a partner to us. All business is routed through them so that our reach can be enhanced further. Our money is safe because the dealer is paying us much faster than the customer, hence, it is a joint growth as the business will grow while customers are better serviced. One has to take care because our business is not about just selling the product but offering solutions to customers through a very close collaborative approach. I strongly believe in 3Cs - Collaboration, Communication, and Commitment to customers. Our customers are always looking for affordable and quality solutions and they are aware that Berger can deliver. Customers prefer us because we work with them at the ground level and this has helped us to maintain a leadership position year after year. 

Number of plants catering to Protecton business and what's the total production capacity? Are you planning to enhance your production capacity this year?  

We are currently catering our business through five plants. In total, we have 17 plants in the country and out of that five plants are dedicated to Protecton. We have set up a Shandilya plant in March 2023 and we are also planning to put more plants in West Bengal. We have acquired 30 acres land in Banagher in Orissa to set up another plant dedicated to the industrial business. This state-of-the-art plant is not just for the decorative paints but also dedicated to construction chemicals as well. We are also enhancing the capacity of our existing plant to cover the increased demand in the market. 

What are the new innovations you are planning within Protecton R&D facilities? How will these innovations help in maintaining leadership positions? 

We always do something which is not in the market. For example, we have come with water based asphalt coating which has been supplied to the pipe coating segment in the USA. It is a very unique product and no one could make it in India. And for this reason, the plant itself shifted their base from China to India to get the material cost drastically reduced. The product quality is fabulous and we are creating new opportunities for the company by providing the best product. We have got an award from the railway division for upgrading the product and service through a new innovation called process innovation. We are closely working with the Railway Board and RTSO. Major focus in our whole journey and years to come are railways, airports, army, navy, ports and airports.  

How does Protecton Consultancy division help businesses in providing complete solutions? What is its USP?  

Our consultancy team which is now called the business development team works with the customer to find an exact solution at an affordable price. They do the corrosion audit to find out which plant requires what type of solutions. They make a full-fledged report and provide a unique solution to them. Our team analyses whether there is a lag in the process and application or there is a lack in recommending the painting system. We address the both and recommend AMC and maintenance contracts to customers. We assure them about taking care of issues while they focus on the process or production. It actually gives a really strong mileage to us over others. We are also part of a joint effort along with the CII team to save national assets, 4% of which are being wasted for non-mitigation of corrosion damage. 

As far as application is concerned, the company is using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce a unique product, Skill Berry in collaboration with IIT Madras. This patented product has been tested by our Prime Minister. This initiative helps in training unskilled painters and turning them into skilled painters which is ultimately helping us to give a long time durability of the existing painting system which in turn helps drive sustainability. If you need to have a long term sustainability goal, SDGs 17-point score, corrosion covers 12 points out of 17. These are being covered here and ultimately helps us to address Sustainable Development Goal 2020 through long term solutions. 

How does Protecton technology collaboration help industries and tie-ups that you have made till date?   

We have tied up with Chugoku Marine Paints for marine paints because of their global expertise. We have come with a new product called Polyurea which is extremely new, unheard of in India and comes from VIP Coatings, Germany. And, we are having tie up with PROMAT, Belgium in terms of fire-coating paint to save the structures from the fire through luminescent paint and refinery through Vermiculite paint. We are going to make a lot of other tie ups as the talks are going on with various organizations in innovative areas of application which are not there in the country. 

How do you incorporate ESG in your operations and business? 

We are incorporating ESG at every stage and have got so many awards by taking these initiatives. The important thing is that we don't need to discharge anything outside our premises. We are having a lot of innovative ways of making waste to wealth and in this regard we are working with IIT Kharagpur and going to have tie up with IIT Kanpur. We are working to save the mother earth and meet sustainability as well as ESG goals. 

August 21, 2024

August 21, 2024

August 20, 2024

Tell us briefly about Triplan India and the services offered by the company?

Triplan in India offers design engineering and project management services for chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing facility projects, R&D facilities, warehouses etc. The company is based out of Pune in Maharashtra and has presence in India since last 10 years and has an office area of around 15,000 square feet which houses 140+ engineering and design resources which can be scaled up to 180+ if required.

Can you explain to us about your global presence and German connection and how is this benefiting India operations?

Triplan in India is a 100% subsidiary of TTP Group in Germany. TTP Group owns two well-known brands Triplan & Pharmaplan. Both have a legacy of more than 50 years of existence in Europe. Triplan offers design engineering & project management for both chemical and pharmaceutical projects while Pharmaplan is focused on pharma and biotech projects. Between these two group companies, we have more than 27 offices in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and India with 1,000+ resources globally.  

Company's area of expertise and how do you plan to leverage your global footprint?

We have good process engineering capabilities which is the heart of any manufacturing facility whether it is a chemical or pharmaceutical project. We have all the engineering disciplines in-house and take support of our subject matter experts (SMEs) only when it is insisted by the client as a value addition. Otherwise, our engineers have experience in international projects working alongside their counterparts from different European offices and have significant expertise on many latest software.

Who are your clients in India and abroad? What are your ongoing projects?

Bayer is our key client both in Europe and India. We have designed projects for many reputed clients in India like Lanxess, Reichhold, DCM Shriram, Alkyl Amines, Castrol, Aditya Birla (ABIL), Grasim, GFL, Cadila, and Aarti. We have many ongoing projects which we can’t disclose as it is confidential in nature.

Are you selective on the choice of clients and business verticals that you focus on?

We have a very wide bandwidth when it comes to our project portfolio. We execute both greenfield and brownfield projects and small & large projects for Indian and multinational clients in India and abroad. It all depends on who the client is and also on our business strategies.

What is your USP as a design engineering and project management firm? 

We offer our services for all phases of projects like concept and basic design, detailed engineering, procurement assistance, construction management and commissioning assistance. We do the complete handholding throughout the lifecycle of the project. We take into consideration the safety and sustainable design aspects at the concept stage of the project itself.

We promote lean and modular designs which offer flexibility and also the facilities with lowest cost of ownership with optimum Capex and Opex. We are a very flexible collaborative partner with a business model to suit our clients’ interests and we are easily accessible to our customers for any escalations.

We document the lessons learnt from each project and brainstorm on them to improve ourselves for the future projects. We also maintain German quality and precision in our design and project deliveries.  

What portion of your revenue comes from international markets? What is your preferred business model?

Normally many of the multinational consultants like us work as low cost engineering centres for their parent company and dedicate 100% or around 50% for them. But we do the majority of work, say more than 80% for the domestic market in India as our employees would like to work more on Indian projects as each and every project is unique and more challenging.

Can you tell us about the challenges faced by you from the clients in the Indian market?

Indian clients have great expectations of quick project deliveries at exceptionally less cost. However many times it so happens that we get delayed inputs from clients and hence the project doesn’t move at the expected pace. We have pricing pressures because of competition from Indian consultants and also delayed decisions from clients regarding the project take off. Many of the times are influenced by the Chinese competition in India and their export markets.  

What are your expectations from your clients?

We expect our clients to appreciate the value additions a design engineering firm like us brings to the project. Many of the times projects are designed and executed in a more conventional and unscientific manner from in-house team and a contractor which they end up spending more money and time with high operational costs which would be a recurring loss.

How do you address the challenges? Going forward, what are your plans?

We are a progressive company with only 10 years of existence in India. We have plans to be more aggressive in the market targeting larger projects and diversified sub sectors. We will be also looking at some international projects but we don’t want to increase our share of business with our European projects. We also would like to work more closely with our clients at the conceptual stage of the project so that we can leverage our experience and expertise to add value and be part of a successful project.

August 19, 2024

August 19, 2024

August 19, 2024

August 19, 2024