GRP in India

poised for
rapid growth
In spite of a sluggish start, the Indian GRP
industry has been enjoying a healthy
uninterrupted annual average growth rate of
15% since 1987. This trend is expected to
extend past the turn of the century which
bears ample testimony to its excellent
growth prospects, writes S. Sundaram
of FGP Ltd.

The 15% annual growth rate for

glass reinforced plastics (GRP) in
India is much higher than the 5-6X
average growth worldwide and is
typical of the good growth prospects of GRP in Asia-Pacific in
general. However, although India
and the Peoples Republic of China
have been contemporaries in the
glass fibre industry (the industry in
both countries took off in the mid196Os),
current
glass fibre consumption in China
is nearly five-fold
that of India.
The current installed capacity of
the two companies
in India presently
involved in glass
fibre manufacture
(FGP and UP Twiga
Fibreglass) is in the

Reinforced Plastics Juiy/August

1996

region of 14 000 tonnes. One more

company (Binani Glass Fibre)
which has an installed capacity of
6700 tonnes will be starting commercial production in July/August
1996 (see Reinforced
Plastics,
June 1996). Global leader Owens
Corning has already drawn up
ambitious plans to set up a greenfield project in India with an
installed capacity of 30 000 tonnes,

the plant is slated to be commissioned in late 1998-99.

There was a significant increase
in the installed manufacturing capacity of glass fibre in India in the
early 1980s. Whilst the installed
capacity in 1991 was around 5000
tonnes per annum (TPA), the demand was only 1800 TPA. To bridge
the demand-sunolv
can of 30%: it
II,
I
was considered necessary to undertake a considerable
amount of development work to establish
new
applications
for
glass fibre with a
view to broaden its
market base. This
approach paid rich
dividends
and
paved the way for
increased uptake of
glass fibre which, in

0034-3617/96/$15.00
Copyright1996,
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

India, is currently in
the
range
of
15 000 TPA. The initial slow growth
rate of the Indian
GRP industry could
be attributed to the
following:

25000

20000

g
Higher cost be= 15000
cause
of lower
volumes of pro10000 i-duction
compared with other
countries.
In5000
stalled capacities
for glass fibre in
01
1993-94
India have been
Glass fibre demand
in the range of
2-5000 TPA comGlass fibre demand in India.
pared
with
2530 000
TPA in
other countries.
4-5 years and is expected to see a
The high incidence
of Governquantum
jump (in the range of
ment duties
on glass fibres,
25%) by 1999-2000.
Some of the
resins
and GRP products
all
reasons for the healthy growth rate
resulted in a higher prime cost
have been:
of GRP compared
with traditional materials of construction,
0 A greater
awareness
amongst
such as carbon steel, aluminium
end users of the advantages of
etc. The switch over to GRP has
glass fibre composites.
This has
became difficult because of the
mainly come about by the develhigher initial cost difference.
opment of several new applicaContinued dependence
on techtions
by Indian
glass
fibre
manufacturers
and
also
through
nology from abroad especially
a systematic process of educatwith respect
to fibre forming
ing the end users of the longand sizing.
term advantages
of GRP proReluctance
on the part of end
ducts, such as reduced mainteusers
to experiment
with

GRP for existing

products.
Lack of necessary
infrastructure
with respect
to
newer
methods
of processing.
The growth of the
GRP industry in India has been
remarkable in the last
decade
the annual growth
rate
has been more than
15% during the last

electronics
-1995-1996
Consumption

of glass fibre,

current

~1999-2000

and projected.

nance,
lighter
weight
etc., in
spite of higher
prime cost.
0 The ability of Indian glass fibre
manufacturers
to tailor-make
products
meeting
stringent
customer
requirements.
With global advancements
in
technology,
India has also been
striving to keep
pace
with
the
same. This has
resulted
in a
host of various
forms of glass fibre reinforcements
(such as single-end/direct
roving, chopped
strand mat compatible with phenolics, epoxies, vinyl esters and
polyesters),
currently
available
in the Indian market for compatibility with various thermoplastic and thermosetting
resin
matrices.
Another
noteworthy
aspect is the indigenous
availability of a wider range of unsaturated
polyester
resins/gelcoats, phenolics and vinyl esters
which have broadened the base
for the use of glass fibre composites in a variety of new applications,
hitherto
unexplored.
l The
advent
of
newer
processing techniques:
while
contact
moulding
continues to be the
mainstay of the
Indian GRP industry, filament
winding, pultrusion
and
hot
compression
moulding (SMC/
RMC) have all
caught on to a

Reinforced Plastics July/August 1996

GRP in India poised for rapid growth

1995196
1999/2000
great
extent
trucks and several
during
the
components
for
Chemical
bus
bodies.
Howlast 5-7 years.
Chemical
Building
24%
Presently,
ever, extensive
23%
use of GRP for
there are several units with
passenger
car
facilities for pulcomponents is exTransporl
trusion. Resin
pected in the light
Others
17%
of their trementransfer mouldTransport
13%
19%
dous success in
ing (RTM) has
6llllb
the USA and Euralso
gained
Electrical 8 electronics
ElecWcal 8 electronics
ope. Sheet mouldground progres21%
20%
ing compound
sively.
(SMC)
and reinMarket
sector
breakdown
1995/96
and
1999/2000.
0 Perseverance
forced
thermoin research and
plastics
are
forecast
to
play a
development
(R&D) efforts
taking advantage of Indias tropical
major part in several of the new
with respect to indigenous manconditions. The ambient temperapassenger cars expected to roll out
ufacturing equipment/techniture for the major part of the year
on Indian roads after 1997. The
ques and binders used for
exceeds 30C which results in
Indian GRP industry is fortunate
sizing of glass fibres. These
diffused lighting in the interior of
since
most of the leading car
efforts were born out of sheer
buildings. The use of GRP in coolmanufacturers
mentioned above
necessity with a view to iming towers has also seen a sign&
have
all
had
the
successful experiprove the end performance
cant increase (5%) over the years. It
ence
of
GRP
components
in cars in
characteristics
of glass fibres
is expected to increase still further
the
US
and
European
markets.
and bring the same to a level
as cooling tower manufacturers
In view of its geographical locameeting international quality
seriously contemplate replacement
tion, India is an ideal country to
and performance requirements.
of timber/concrete
sections by
harness power from wind. Based on
GRP pultruded profiles. A heartRight from its inception in the late
exhaustive wind mapping studies it
ening feature in the use of GRP in
196Os, the chemical and marine
has been estimated that India has
building/construction has been its
industries have been considered
the potential to generate approxiincreasing use in recent years in
to be the prime domain of GRP in
mately 20 000 MW of wind power.
structural applications
such as
India, apart from its high usage in
It is for this reason that the Indian
dome lights, formwork/shuttering,
translucent rooflight sheets by the
Government has been encouraging
doors, door frames and window
building industry. Even after three
projects to set up wind farms at
sections etc. It is expected that
decades, the chemical sector still
strategic locations. More than 45
GRP pultruded profiles will be used
continues to be the main outlet
wind
farms have been successfully
to quite an extent from 1998-99
(23%) for the use of GRP composet
up
in the southern, western and
onwards for building applications.
sites for corrosion resistant applicaeastern parts of India and these have
The automotive industry in Intions in India. The significant
been
in operation for more than five
dia is poised for tremendous
difference today is that high voyears.
To date, Indias installed
growth in the next decade. The
lume applications, such as undercapacity
has been 500 MW and
present growth rate is 25-26%
2000
MW
has been targeted by the
ground petrol storage tanks, large
which is expected to increase
year
2000.
In terms of installed
diameter pipes for water transport/
significantly in the next five years
capacity,
India
stands fourth in the
sewage etc., have been the new
with most of the leading global
world
with
the
USA topping the list
areas where GRP has made signifipassenger car manufacturers (Ford,
with
1400
MW.
The wind turbine
cant inroads, especially in the last
Daewoo, General Motors, Mercedes
blades
are
all
made
of GRP and
three years. Close on their heels is
Benz, Rover, Volkswagen, Peugeot
several manufacturers have already
the building/construction sector,
etc) having decided to set up shop
started manufacturing the blades in
which accounts for 21% of glass
in India by tying up with leading
India. This application involves spefibre consumption and which is
Indian car manufacturers. Hitherto,
cialized orientation of the glass
expected to have a boom for the
use of GRP for automotive applicafibres and contributes significantly
next 5-7 years. GRP translucent
tions in India was restricted mainly
to the quantum jump (of 25%)
roofing sheets continue to be the
to jeep body components, engine
forecast for glass fibre consumption
mainstay in building applications by
bonnets, radiator fan blades for

ReinforcedPlasticsJuly/August1996

._-

-- ---__

.._ .

..

.._____

GRP in India poised

for rapid growth

in the year 19992000. This will be

one of the largest
outlets for GRP in
India in the years
to come.
Contact
moulding
has
been the predominant
method
of GRP processing
in India to the
extent
of nearly
7OX.
Filament
winding,
compression
moulding,
pultrusion
and
injection
moulding of reinforced
thermoplastics
account
for the balance of
30%.

opment of new
applications. The
advent of automated
processing techniques
in recent
years
such
as RTM,
pultrusion
etc.,
and the uptake
of
a greater
sense of quality
consciousness
on the part of
processors
have
also contributed
to the growth.
With
a wider
range of unsatu-

rated polyester
and phenolic resins now available
in
the
Indian
market,
leading
resin
The Glass FiRTM machine with chair mould developed by the Glass Fibre Technology Centre.
manufacturers
bre Technology
have
already
Centre (GFIC) of
chalked
out
FGP Ltd has been
plans
for
enhancing
their
producin the forefront
(since
1981) in
holds a series of demonstrations
on
tion capabilities to match the inprocess, product and applications
RTM technology for GRP processors
creased glass fibre demand. The
development
of GRP composites.
in India and developing countries
thrust being given to composites in
The privately-run Centre is devoted
such as West-Asia, Sri Lanka and
India is evident from the setting up
to the propagation
and developMalaysia.
In the wake of such
ment of GRP composites
with the
(in 1993) of a Technology Mission
demonstrations,
many processors
intention of broadening the market
have set up RTM facilities not only
Mode for Advanced Composites by
base for glass fibres. To date, the
in India but also in the aforesaid
the Government of Indias Ministry
Centre has more than ten patents
countries,
using machines
develof Science and Technology for more
to its credit.
oped by the centre. Parent company
widespread propagation of compoFGP Ltd presently exports the RTM
sites in the country in the coming
Realizing the dire need to break
machines
to
other
third
world
years. The Indian Governments
away from the traditional
labour
countries
in
addition
to
selling
them
emphasis on indigenous technology
intensive contact moulding techniin India. Consequently,
the Glass
coupled
with new standards on
que, the centre took it upon itself to
Fibre Technology
Centre can be
glass fibres and allied products,
introduce the concept of automated
considered to be a prime proponent
along with the development
of
RTM in India in 1994. The approach
for the development of RTM technew applications have all resulted
consisted
of developing
suitable
nology in India. Currently
GRP
in a synergistic effect on the Indian
grades of glass fibre reinforcements
doors,
chair
shells,
automotive
bumglass fibre industry which is prewith delayed
styrene
solubility
pers, water cooler panels are all
sently growing from strength
to
(since continuous strand mat is not
being made by RTM.
strength. It is apparent that the
available in India), and designing
sluggish growth
of the industry
RTM machines and suitable moulds.
The rapid turnaround
in the
This has been achieved with the
which
once
prevailed,
is now
fortunes of the glass fibre industry
successful design and development
a
thing
of
the
past
and
that
the
in India in the last ten years can be
of RTM moulds for doors, passenger
future continues to hold excellent
mainly attributed to concentration
car bumpers, modular panel water
prospects
for the Indian
GRP
of R&D efforts in the critical areas of
tanks, chair shells etc. The centre
fibre industry.
glass fibre manufacture and devel@

Reinforced

Plastics July/August

1996