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Sponsored by “While there are no challenges in terms of growth and opportunities in the piping industry, yet we would like to emphasise here that all manufacturers should stick with the quality of piping being supplied to the market and that no sub-standard materials are being produced or supplied to the market which can give a negative impact to the product category at large,” expresses Kairav Engineer, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Kairav Engineer

Vice President - Business Development, Astral Ltd., Ahmedabad

Quality Pipes from Astral

A Vihan Deliverable

Q. From aiming to cater to the plumbing and drainage systems to being the pioneers and establishing a brand in the real estate segment; some key turning points that you wish to share in your journey this far.

It has been an exciting journey. Right from introducing the CPVC piping system in India to launching many innovative products in the category, Astral has stood at the forefront of the category. We have many industry firsts in our name and have tried to improve the plumbing standards in the country. Launching CPVC Pro, thereafter low-noise Silencio and then launching anti-viral water tanks have been major milestones. Astral now is not just a pipe company, but has ventured out into adhesives, bathware, water tanks and paints as well. It has been a remarkable growth story.

Q. The pipe industry has evolved over the years with a variety of applications and materials that are specific to the applications. Your views on the same and how do you envisage the coming years for the pipe industry?

The piping industry has come a long way and has witnessed many improvements and changes. There are many materials and applications specific to our country and the market. For this, Astral has done considerable value engineering in terms of product designs and manufacturing techniques. Many product designs are improved upon by considering specific feedback from the market and the fraternity. Also, in coming years, the pipes category will witness many changes. There are many aspects where there will be new technology applications and many products will improve considerably. The machines conceptualised, designed and manufactured by Vihan play a crucial role in the manufacturing of the high-quality PVC pipes supplied by Astral. Vihan machines are robust and are designed to accomplish the goal of producing quality and accurate end products.

There are no challenges in terms of growth and opportunities, yet we would like to emphasise that all manufacturers have to stick with the quality of piping being supplied to the market and no sub-standard materials are being produced or supplied to the market which can give a negative impact to the product category at large.

Q. The real estate business is showing strong signs of revival after the lull period experienced during the pandemic. What are your projections as regards your business trends over the next 2 - 3 years?

We hope to grow at a decent pace. In the coming 2 - 3 years, we will be able to widen our portfolio in terms of building materials. We will be able to offer consumers many building material products under one roof. This will help us grow and consolidate our position in the market.

Q. What are your current capacities? Any new plants are in the pipeline?

Our current capacities for the piping segment including the tank business is around 2,75,000 MT per annum. This is spread across 8 manufacturing plants PAN India. Our east plant in the state of Odisha has just started and, at present, we would like to stabilise the same before expanding with any new plants.

Q. What new products in the piping business can the market expect from Astral?

In the piping business, we have just launched the PP mineral-filled pipes with density of 1.4 gm/cc - named as Astral DrainPro - used for non-pressure drainage and sewerage applications. These pipes are an ideal replacement for PVC pipes where some bottlenecks of PVC pipes like temperature resistance and chemical resistance are observed. Apart from this, we are going to add some more products to our existing product range of CPVC, uPVC and other piping categories, including speciality products like valves and flow control products.

Apart from piping, we have just launched our faucet and sanitaryware products. Market will see a range of world-class premium products to affordable economy range products in this category from the house of Astral.

We have just launched the PP mineral-filled pipes with density of 1.4 gm/cc used for non-pressure drainage and sewerage applications. These pipes are an ideal replacement for PVC pipes where some bottlenecks of PVC pipes like temperature resistance and chemical resistance are observed.

Q. The contribution of Vihan in delivering quality products to your end customers; the key aspects that you wish to highlight of Vihan being your dependable supplier.

The machines conceptualised, designed and manufactured by Vihan play a crucial role in the manufacturing of the high-quality PVC pipes supplied by Astral. Vihan machines are robust and are designed to accomplish the goal of producing quality and accurate end products.

Q. Your impression about Vihan when it comes to delivering the most innovative solutions and their prowess in applying technology for providing you solutions to suit your needs. Any example?

The recent emphasis of Vihan team to dispense with ‘hydro-pneumatic systems’ is a praiseworthy initiative. It has brought in a paradigm shift in managing the process and control parameters of the socketing process. The servo-controlled technology also offers high productivity with low power consumption. Q. How do you see your adhesives business today? Any unrelated market segment that excites you?

The adhesives segment has countless opportunities. There are a few organised players with nationwide presence. We have made considerable inroads into the same, but we think we have miles to go. We are currently in the phase of setting up our new state-of-the-art facility in Dahej, Gujarat and also strategising our distribution network.

Q. You have been one of the early users of most Vihan innovations. How do you look back at the relationship you share?

Well, it’s close to a 2-decade long association with Vihan’s unflinching commitment to continuous product development and rendering total solutions for automation. The products supplied by Vihan from its facility in Ahmedabad are comparable to any world-class European supplier.

Q. As an organisation, you have placed a lot of emphasis on brand building and visibility. What is your message to the industry as regards investing in branding?

Brand building is an essential part of the business. We have scaled up the matrix and now are into ‘the consideration set’ of the buying target group. Even we can say that our brand now is most likely to be bought from the options available. So, it’s not only just top-of-mind awareness, we have evolved as a brand that tends to become a recommended and trusted brand.