Glass Industry Gluedto Hardware

The show was a balanced display of all components of the architecture glass solutions industry

Around 220 companies made their presence felt at the recently concluded 9th edition of Zak Glasstech International (8-11 December) at MMRDAExhibition Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex, in Mumbai. Of these, over 55% came from outside India. Spread over an area of 30,000 sqm, the venue became a big hub for conducting new businessand renewing contacts, as trade visitors interacted with exhibitors from the industries of glass processing, fabrication, manufacturing and hardware. The four-day event attracted 20,600 visitorsfrom all across the country and from the neighbouring nations including UAE, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Inaugurated by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor, the exhibition indeed served as a great forum for the industry’s development, and was an important place for businessmen fromfabrication, building & construction, automotive and large-scale industries to procure and select products. The show represented finished productsalong with accessories, besides showcasing latest techniques in technology to both produce and process the substancecalled glass.

“We are extremely delighted at the response of the 9th Zak Glass Technology Expo. There was a lull in the industry before this event, but now we can proudly say that this event has turned the industry around with a lot more new entrepreneurs investing in the glass processingbusiness,” said Syed Ahad Ahmed, director of Zak Group.

Zak Glass Technology International 2011 was held concurrently with two other synergistic fairs namely the 8th edition of Zak Doors & Window Expo and the 3rd edition of Zak Aluminium Extrusions Expo. Amongst the sponsors of the expo were GSC Glass, McCoy Soudal, Ozone Overseas, 3M, Glass & Glazing Technologies, SK Glass and Glasstech Industries.

“We at McCoy Group are happy with the great response of this year’s show. For McCoy Soudal, 8M, Flyscreen, & Glasspro, this has been a wonderful event both in terms of branding as well as returns. We look forward to more fantastic editions in future,” said Amit Malhotra, managing director of McCoy Group. 

Rajiv Aggarwal, vice president of Ozone Overseas Ltd, was excited about the visitor quality. “We are extremely happy with the response from the show. The interesting part was that a lot of people from outside Mumbai visited the show, which was unexpected andspoke volumes about the kind of brand the show has evolved into with the passage of time.”

On the anvil were solutions and technologies for glass production, glass processing and finishing, glass products and applications, facade making elements, etc. Also showcased were auxiliaries such as fittings, tools, hardware, adhesives and sealants, tapes, films, coatings, software, etc, besides glass cutting and processing machines, diamond cutting tools, and lifting equipment. Manufacturers and suppliers of aluminium composite panels were also present in good numbers. On the international front, exhibitors came from China, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, UK, USA, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE and others.

The show, this time, could feel the prominence of sealant manufacturers and suppliers. Besides industry giant Dow Corning, the list included Sika, Wacker, Alstone, Momentive (of the LG Group), Anchor Allied (Asmaco), Join Leader, AIPL ABRO and many more competing brands from neighbouring countries including China and Taiwan.

“We are very happy with the kind of response we received from this expo this time,” said Deepak Bakshi (deepak.bakshi@alstoneindia.com), national head of Alstone India Pvt Ltd. “We have registered over 1,000 queries for our range of products and solutions displayed here. Of these, 50% can be converted into profitable business.”

Many exhibitors found the show to be a great booster to the industry, as it brought most of the players to a common place where they could easily identify their respective target customers or business partners. Besides, exhibitors could also sense the heat of rapidly increasingcompetition in years to come. Apart from that, many foreign players had been attracted by the organisers to assess the current state of the Indianeconomy. The show also helped in recognising emerging needs of the market, besides providing buyers an idea of international technological knowhow and innovations.

“In the last edition our objective was to announce the incorporation of Bentler in India. In this edition, brand establishment was the main focus. We are happy to achieve this goal through Zak Glasstech,” uttered Sameer Mohite, sales manager of Glass Processing, Benteler GmbH.

At the same time, a number of companies used this event as a launch pad for their new arrivals. For instance, silicon sealant major Dow Corning found the place ideal for announcing the launch of its Quality Bond Certification Program for the Indian market. It is an innovative membership-based certification program for various stakeholders in the construction and infrastructure market.

Wacker Silicone unveiled its range of silicon sealants, which according to the company have been developed using hybrid technology. These sealants are paintable as well as eco-friendly. Sika India announced its entry into the construction segment by unleashing a new range of silicones for the purpose.

Among the majors in the hardware segment was Ozone Overseas, which marked its formidable presence by displaying new stainless steel staircase systems and a range of other products. Hardwin presented a collection of products, right from hinges to glass hardware.

Rinox Kaufmann Ltd used this event to announce its entry in the rapidly growing glass hardware industry. “This is our first appearance at Glasstech, and we are satisfied with the outcome. The visitors were qualified and moderate. Many of them were institutional buyers. Besides architects and designers, end-users were also there. It was a good experience overall,” noted Anand Gupta (anand@rinox.in), managing director of the New Delhi-based company.

One of the busiest stalls was of LGF Sysmac, which sold out all the machines it had displayed. The company had also displayed Zobel, Germany’s architectural paint, targeted at the window industry. According to Deepak Chugh, the company’s director, Zobeldrew numerous business inquiries throughout the event.

Trade visitors such as distributors, importers, exporters, builders and contractors came from different parts of the country, as well from other countries. Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Indore and Chandigarh are few of the places from where they came looking for new products and sources. They did, however, express disappointment at not seeing some of the key names of the industry such as Dorma, Saint Gobain Glass and Asahi. The next edition of the show is scheduled during 14-16 December 2012 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. 

Syed Md Ehteshamul Hasan