With a CAGR of 6.3 per cent, the global construction chemicals market is expected to be worth the US $67.61 billion by 2024. Building and infrastructure development activities drive the construction chemical market. More than 63 per cent of the Indian construction chemical market is devoted to infrastructure applications. Increasing investments and implementing government programs stimulate industrial development even further, increasing demand for construction chemicals such as waterproofing, adhesives, and other construction chemicals. Furthermore, the building industry’s growing emphasis offers considerable growth potential for construction chemical firms.

Construction chemicals are typically added to building materials to improve their strength, durability, workability, and other operational and functional features. They include admixtures, waterproofing chemicals, adhesives and sealants, protective coatings, and asphalt additives. Increasing foreign direct investment in India will likely boost the construction industry, particularly infrastructure projects started by the government, fuelling demand for construction chemicals in the coming years.

Rising infrastructure and development needs across states are expected to stimulate demand for construction chemicals, mainly concrete admixtures. Protective coating manufacturers are constantly working on cost-cutting efforts to increase adoption rates.

Emerging urbanisation and government measures to revitalise rural regions and infrastructure development will likely fuel the demand for construction chemicals in the country during the next few years.

Market trends affecting construction chemical businesses
Construction chemicals, a subset of construction and building materials, are rapidly growing in size and technologically evolving. They are an essential component of infrastructure development. Despite challenges in this industry during the pandemic, companies and solution providers fared well, says Satish Jaysankar, MD, Concrete Additives & Chemicals (CAC) Pvt. Ltd.
Whereas Rajeev Gupta, ECMAS, says, “There is an increasing demand for high-performance solutions that support sustainability, the overall system cost reduction, and reduced project delivery time. Various construction chemicals and advanced materials, from concrete admixtures to polymer composites, are increasingly used in the building and construction industry.”

According to Rajeev Tyagi, Vice President-Tunnelling and Infrastructure India & South Asia, Normet, “With increased infrastructure push by the government and the development of smart cities in India, the demand for waterproofing in the construction and infrastructure segment is projected to grow manifolds.”

Innovations in construction chemicals
Rising demand from various end-use industries, including building and construction of residential and commercial buildings, landfills, and tunnels, is anticipated to drive growth. Furthermore,
increasing awareness regarding the importance of waterproofing products in construction in developing regions is anticipated to boost the demand for waterproofing and concrete admixtures in this segment.

Jaishankar takes this opportunity to highlight their innovation at CAC. CAC has developed an integral crystalline waterproofing, CAC Crystalseal, and an integral organic corrosion inhibitor, CAC-Corrobit OCI. Both these products have obtained global acceptance. “Our water reducer and slump retention polymers have won in India and the Gulf market, which is a gold standard in building materials,” he adds.

Innovations in waterproofing chemicals
The lifespan of residential and commercial construction is shortened because cement-based structures are severely dampened and eroded by frequent weather fluctuations. Because they give the structure a longer lifespan, this necessitates the use of waterproofing chemicals.

Gupta emphasises their latest entry into the waterproofing segment as part of the Make in India initiative. They have recently added a wide range of locally manufactured polyurethane injections to control heavy water leaks and handle challenging situations in underground construction, which has received an encouraging response from the clients. These injections are
considered the most effective solution to inhibit heavy water leakage in below-grade or water retaining structures.

While Normet is one of the global leaders in providing various waterproofing solutions across the construction and infrastructure segment, especially for all types of below-ground structures,
“Most importantly, our products are reliable, durable, environmentally safe, and user-friendly,” Tyagi explains.

Challenges faced by construction chemicals and waterproofing
Lack of qualified personnel, fluctuating raw material prices, and infrastructure developers’ disinterest in enforcing quality standards are some of the key concerns for the manufacturers in this industry.

The growth in R&D spending, the entrance of new competitors, the adoption of environmentally friendly products, and technological developments are some critical trends in the Indian construction chemicals market. Most of the main construction chemical businesses are turning to the Asian market as a focus for their R&D investments. The general demand for construction
chemicals is anticipated to increase as new construction and repair projects increase across India.

Namely, it includes inconsistent raw materials for making concrete, a lack of skilled workforce; on-field experts; and availability of an appropriate supply chain. “We overcome these challenges through continuous product innovation, on-time customer tech support, and in-house logistics,” Jaysankar explains.