Walplast Products Pvt Ltd is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified Indian multinational company and one of the leading manufacturers of dry mix products. Walplast produces various products in the field of premixed plaster, wall putty and other construction materials at its plants located in India. Mandar Chitre, Vice President, Walplast Products Pvt Ltd speaks on the major buying factors and major innovations happening in the area of building materials.

Procurement trends
Talking about the current trends in procurement of building materials, Mandar says, “The buyers of building materials have always been tough negotiators. They have a large choice of branded and local building material available for purchase. The current trend clearly demonstrates use of quality building material. The urban as well as rural market is getting matured. The buyers understand the value which is been added by the good quality material. Poor quality building materials create problems very fast.”

The changing monsoon pattern is playing a bigger role. “The increased frequency of heavy rain showers has educated the buyers and they are slowly changing from the cheapest material to high quality stuff. However the pressure of lowering prices and offering better amenities are forcing the buyers to source the best quality material at the cheapest price. Therefore the building material suppliers would now have to be smart and offer the best quality at the most optimal price,” observes Mandar.

Buying factors
Focusing on the buying factors, Mandar says, “Purchase of items like Ready-Mix Plaster (RMP) or Block Joining Mortar (BJM) begins with a good mix design and meticulous project planning. The design should specify the zone of sand and the ratio of water and cement. In certain cases, use of fibre material is also advised by the designers.”

The requirement of wall putty comes when the structure is ready and plastering has been done. The putty purchased should have the right strength, adhesion properties and whiteness. It is also very important to understand that putty is not a water proofing solution. Putty does stop peeling of paint due to water penetration. Putty is only a base coat. It is supposed to fill up the micro-cracks and cover the undulations in the wall to help optimal use of the paint. “The buyer should note that there is only one standard of wall putty which is developed by the Singapore housing board. A developer should insist on a good product which is approved by a reputed standard inspecting organisation,” Mandar said.

Major Innovations
Today, competition is forcing manufacturers to push themselves to reduce cost or increase features of the product by adapting to innovations. They are focusing on using lesser products or increasing the speed of construction. Some of the innovations happening at Walplast are:
Avoid paint where possible without compromising on aesthetics
Walplast has a product called Rangeela Putty which is a unique combination of cement based putty and colour pigments in a powdered form. Common areas such as staircases, parking lots etc. are places where painting can be avoided. Walplast offers this product in four basic colours and has cases where Walplast Rangeela Putty has been used as a final finishing layer at budget hotels, temples, hostels, theatres etc. However it is important to note that this product needs to be used in internal surfaces only. Such savings can help keep the final price of the project in control.

Reduce labour and increase speed
Projects which get delayed cost much more and wipe out the profit margins of the promoters.

Walplast Products Pvt Ltd is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified Indian multinational company and one of the leading manufacturers of dry mix products. Walplast produces various products in the field of premixed plaster, wall putty and other construction materials at its plants located in India. Mandar Chitre, Vice President, Walplast Products Pvt Ltd speaks on the major buying factors and major innovations happening in the area of building materials.

Procurement trends
Talking about the current trends in procurement of building materials, Mandar says, “The buyers of building materials have always been tough negotiators. They have a large choice of branded and local building material available for purchase. The current trend clearly demonstrates use of quality building material. The urban as well as rural market is getting matured. The buyers understand the value which is been added by the good quality material. Poor quality building materials create problems very fast.”

The changing monsoon pattern is playing a bigger role. “The increased frequency of heavy rain showers has educated the buyers and they are slowly changing from the cheapest material to high quality stuff. However the pressure of lowering prices and offering better amenities are forcing the buyers to source the best quality material at the cheapest price. Therefore the building material suppliers would now have to be smart and offer the best quality at the most optimal price,” observes Mandar.

Buying factors
Focusing on the buying factors, Mandar says, “Purchase of items like Ready-Mix Plaster (RMP) or Block Joining Mortar (BJM) begins with a good mix design and meticulous project planning. The design should specify the zone of sand and the ratio of water and cement. In certain cases, use of fibre material is also advised by the designers.”

The requirement of wall putty comes when the structure is ready and plastering has been done. The putty purchased should have the right strength, adhesion properties and whiteness. It is also very important to understand that putty is not a water proofing solution. Putty does stop peeling of paint due to water penetration. Putty is only a base coat. It is supposed to fill up the micro-cracks and cover the undulations in the wall to help optimal use of the paint. “The buyer should note that there is only one standard of wall putty which is developed by the Singapore housing board. A developer should insist on a good product which is approved by a reputed standard inspecting organisation,” Mandar said.

Major Innovations
Today, competition is forcing manufacturers to push themselves to reduce cost or increase features of the product by adapting to innovations. They are focusing on using lesser products or increasing the speed of construction. Some of the innovations happening at Walplast are:
Avoid paint where possible without compromising on aesthetics
Walplast has a product called Rangeela Putty which is a unique combination of cement based putty and colour pigments in a powdered form. Common areas such as staircases, parking lots etc. are places where painting can be avoided. Walplast offers this product in four basic colours and has cases where Walplast Rangeela Putty has been used as a final finishing layer at budget hotels, temples, hostels, theatres etc. However it is important to note that this product needs to be used in internal surfaces only. Such savings can help keep the final price of the project in control.

Reduce labour and increase speed
Projects which get delayed cost much more and wipe out the profit margins of the promoters. Walplast introduces machine plaster which is a high speed plastering technique with slurry pump and specially created ready mix. This method can triple the speed of plastering as well as reduce the requirement of labour. The slurry pump mixes dry mix plus water and sprays the output through compressed air. The spray gun is held by the operator and the controls are in the spray gun so that the operator can conveniently cover the wall and achieve the necessary thickness in lesser time.

Maturing industry
When asked about the Indian industry’s maturity to use advanced building material and solutions optimally, Mandar says, “Large amount of money is spent to produce a building. The cost includes land procurement, permissions, building material and overheads such as advertising etc. In the current market when many properties are unsold, high pressure is on the developer to create a product which will sell quickly.”

Why Walplast?
Mandar highlights two important points which the buyer should consider before taking decision:
Use dry powder products over liquid based products
Walplast produces only dry products such as putty, crack fill, primers, plasters etc. These products are easy to use and have no wastage. Each packing can be stored if not completely consumed for later use. The product which come in paste form have to be completely consumed as they will dry up quickly once the pack is opened. Packing material for powdered products is far cheaper than those used for paste or liquids. At project site, such small savings ensure that a culture is created amongst the workmen as well as the supervisors.

Ensure that you are not paying for higher transportation
Mostly manufacturers of building material create a very large single manufacturing unit and set up transport system to deliver at each corner of the country. It gives an advantage of mass production to the manufacturer but is not a favourable feature for the buyer. Cement based products have a shelf life and large transportation distances with multiple handling facilities which creates reduction in the shelf life. Walplast has created a multi-location manufacturing at six places across India. Therefore Walplast’s product has lesser component of transport and has much more shelf life.
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A developer should insist on a good product which is approved by a reputed standard inspecting organisation.

Mandar Chitre, Vice President, Walplast Products Pvt Ltd