In Conversation With GB, Director Nitin Jain Talks About ACP Industry, Emerging Trends, Future Plans
Being a leading manufacturer of ACP, Viva etched a legacy of two decades with trust and reliability. It has one of the biggest manufacturing facilities, producing 50 lakh sq ft/ month, with backward integration for aluminium sheet products.
In a discussion with Glass Bulletin, Nitin Jain, Director, Viva Composite Panels, said they are paving the path for a sustainable and greener future.
– A short introductory note of VIVA ACP
VIVA was one of the first companies in India to introduce ACPs. The venture started in Mumbai in 2003, and the value we’ve brought to the ACP sheet industry has been synonymous with trust and reliability throughout the years. Our manufacturing plant in Umbergaon, Gujarat, began with a single production line and has grown rapidly which now includes six production lines, two coil coating lines, and a production capacity of 7 million sq. mt. per year and 2.5 lakh sq. ft. per day.
Our production facilities are equipped with world-class machinery and cutting-edge technology, allowing us to produce high-quality products and provide exceptional service to customers all over the world. Now we have 22 warehouses across India’s main cities, as well as a network of over 500 dealers and distributors. In addition to that, we offer more than 300 shades of ACP sheet designs which can be customized further as per the requirement. Even in terms of safety, we have all the latest certifications- be it fire retardant or weather resistant. We are bringing life to the cladding dream while making it more vibrant and safe than ever!
Director, Viva Composite Panels Pvt. Ltd.
– The emergence of ACP industry in the last 3-5 years
In the past five years, ACP sheets have made enormous progress in India, which is now one of the fastest-growing markets in the Asia Pacific area after China. The aluminium composite panels (ACP) market is expanding rapidly due to its increased demand and popularity in the industrial and commercial segment. Even with the increased urbanization and building sector expansion have led to a surge in demand for ACP panels in various growing countries.
Within 2026, the ACP market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 6%. With the increase in fire incidents, the FR ACP Sheet is the most sought after product with the fastest growing CAGR. Precisely, the market has grown nearly to Rs 4,000 crore and construction projects and retail products have contributed the most. The demand has also grown unexpectedly due to an expansion in the areas of application, particularly in the commercial sector, where ACP sheets are used for signages in automobiles sector and petrol stations.
– Impact of COVID-19 on the ACP industry
The COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as one of the significant black swan events. There was a huge economic impact on the ACP industry as well. We have seen cash flow disruption, breaks in supply chains, rise of telecommuting, shifts of resources, need for social distancing and what not, which had spelled change at each and every level. Several companies are proposing to build their own coil coating lines in India in order to lessen their dependence on Chinese imports.
However, VIVA had its own coil coating line long back which helps us to get rid of this dependency. We believe COVID-19 was the wake-up call to reform and enhance different aspects of our operations. After the pandemic, several international businesses have built networks in India, indicating that the construction industry has further potential. But the biggest restriction currently is the product’s quality.
Previously, high-quality products dominated the industry, accounting for up to 70% of total market share. However, in the previous two years, the tendency has shifted towards more affordable grades. At present, the market for economical grade aluminium composite panels is over 70%, and until things return to normal, we are giving more preference to economy grade aluminium composite panels without compromising quality.
– What are the new emerging products in the market?
Aluminium composite panel with nano-coating is one of the emerging product trends in the industry which can prevent the COVID-19 virus as well. However, new textures and finishes are also in the ball. Now we are focusing more on architectural products such as natural stone finishes. We have launched five new shades in natural stone and are planning to launch a complete new series, i.e. Tarnish Metallum. Keep an eye on our website to know more about this new launch.
– Do you think there is a lack of awareness related to FR grade aluminium composite panel? Why?
Agreed. Most people do not know about the fire-retardant ACP sheets and its different grades. Only 12-15% FR ACP sheets are consumed compared to non-fire rated products. FR ACP sheet comes with various grades such as Class, B1, A2 and A2+. Even those who are aware about the FR ACP sheets tend to choose Class B1 as it is the cheapest. Here come the part of awareness, little did they know that Class A2 and A2+ offer much better protection and are most resistant to fire.
Not just consumers, architect, dealers, fabricators and other architecture professionals need to realize this fact. Every life matters, and it’s our responsibility to protect every one of them. However, we believe with change in cladding system and evolution in the Indian architecture, FR Class A2+ is a next generation cladding product which is light in weight, way safer than any other FR grade products and is 100% recyclable.
We all are looking forward to a sustainable and green future.
– Tell us something about the emerging trend of the honeycomb panel
Honeycomb panel is one of those products which is making its way into the façade industry. The core thickness of the aluminium honeycomb panel are 12mm and 25mm. It is primarily used for interior ceiling applications and has a fire rating of A2. There are many other variants of this type of external facades as well. This is going to be another sought-after product in the recent times, because of its unique features such as extremely light weight, superior flatness and exceptional stiffness, high efficacy, better sound and heat insulation compared to other ACP sheets, easy to install and maintain and are fully recyclable. It comes with FR class A2. We, at VIVA, introduced a noncombustible Aluminium Honeycomb Core by replacing the combustible LDPE core. The aluminium honeycomb panel resists fire from spreading while facilitating safer evacuation, prevention of loss of life and property. No molten droplets are formed and it does not release any toxic smoke.
– What are the future expansion plans of VIVA?
As a pioneer in the ACP industry, we continue to develop new products, series, and technologies every six months. With the forthcoming and existing trends, we continue to provide new shades. We intend to put greater emphasis on FEVE coating technology, which will enable us to provide more textures and finishes which are not attainable with PVDF coating. We aim to expand our production capacity and coating lines even further in order to become the most significant player in the ACP sector, and we just had a stone-laying ceremony for our new manufacturing unit. In order to achieve something great, taking the first step is very important. We are, nevertheless, seeking for export opportunities in various Western and South-East Asian countries. We’re also expanding our business and have started producing and exporting a variety of colour-coated aluminium coils that are customizable.
– What are goals of VIVA in the coming years?
We are aiming to reach a turnover of Rs 500 crore. We have an innovative infrastructure that includes six manufacturing lines, two coating lines, QUV technology, and other cutting-edge technologies. We have the largest product offering in the market, and we intend to expand even further. Capital Land, Phoenix, Vision Mall, Synergy Infotech, etc.
are just a handful of our prestigious projects. Our vision is to emerge as the India’s most admired, known and best ACP panel manufacturer. We aspire to metamorphize the company into an aspirational ACP manufacturing company by offering qualitative products to our customers which leave them amazed.
– What are the companies doing to capture more market share?
Companies are now offering value-added services such as parametric façade design, which is a relatively recent façade design solution. These designs are made on the sheets and the contractor can easily fabricate the 3D modules on predesigned sheets and fix them to the façade grid. Companies are also offering diverse products for facades like stone finish, corten steel, copper, stainless steel, etc.
Furthermore, many enterprises are going towards backward integration, since this business is predicted to increase considering the central government’s announcement of 500 new airports. In reality, every company in India is working to produce additional product variants so that they can be sold at a lower cost than imports and can reach construction sites in half the transit time.
Website: www.vivaacp.com
