Chembond Chemicals Ltd is a known name in India, manufacturing a diverse range of specialty chemicals like water treatment, construction chemicals, high performance coatings and industrial biotech products. Swapnil R Deshmukh, Marketing Manager of the company shares his views on creating awareness to use advanced technology optimally.

Perfect solutions in demand
Talking about the current trends in procurement of waterproofing, Swapnil said, “People have felt the need of using correct products for waterproofing. Awareness is created these days and people are willing to go for waterproofing chemicals. People are looking for perfect solutions for their problems. Even applicators and contractors have started providing good, guaranteed waterproofing solutions.”

Procurement guidelines
Speaking about the major buying factors, Swapnil said, “Need and source of the problem should be clear. A retail buyer normally buys product through distributor or through applicator channel. The problem that an individual faces should be known, so that right solutions can be made available accordingly. The demand from institutional buyers is met directly by the manufacturers as the quantities required are generally significant in volume. These buyers also expect pricing concessions for buying in bulk. Institutional buyers are usually building contractors and construction companies, regularly requiring products, such as cement admixtures, sealants, tile adhesives, and grouts, among others.”

Major innovations
Waterproofing can be defined as protection of surfaces or structures in order to avert the passage of water, either constant or intermittent. Due to the leakage of water, concrete structures become damp and develop mould growth. However, this can be prevented by a variety of waterproofing methods.

There are a variety of waterproofing compounds that can be used, such as box-type treatments, chemicals coatings, integral waterproofing, crystalline waterproofing, waterstops or waterbars and membranes. According to Swapnil, “The best method of protection is likely to be to incorporate integral waterproofing during the construction of a structure. An effective waterproofing system must not only prevent water from seeping through concrete, but also be flexible to bridge the cracks that form over time.”

The modern chemicals or membranes that are offered take care of waterproofing requirements in terrace gardens, roof-top swimming pools and others.

There are various chemical compound-based waterproofing technologies available to the end users, ranging from low-end bitumen-based products to high-end epoxy or polyurethane- based products. These are available in other powder and liquid forms as per the requirement of the application. The high growth was experienced due to the introduction of new technologies in the segment like cementitious-based and polyurethane-based.

Each of these different products is used as per the ease and necessity in different applications, as well as its compliance with the key materials used for the process. The key areas for application of waterproofing chemicals are terraces, exterior walls, basements, swimming pools, water tanks, bathrooms, toilets etc.

Introduce new technologies
In the coming years, the construction chemicals market is likely to witness a healthy growth. The economic downturn has not adversely affected the market as construction activities have been hindered only in the real estate segment, which in itself is not a very large user of construction chemicals. Talking about Indian industry’s maturity to use advanced waterproofing optimally, Swapnil R Deshmukh says, “With many market participants offering a plethora of products, the industry is a low margin high-volume sector. Companies should focus on introducing new technologies which are expected to give better results, and thus be able to command a better price.”

The awareness level among end users is low, which is another significant challenge. The lack of awareness reclines the users toward low-cost materials as they are not cognizant of the benefits that the latest technology has to offer. This challenge can be overcome in two ways; firstly, by training professionals, so as to make them aware of the advantages of quality construction chemicals and secondly, by spreading brand awareness through a conscious brand-building exercise. “The brand-building exercise is expected to not only help the companies target the retail segment, but also allow them to tap the rural market, which largely remains an unexplored domain. Branding, apart from price, material availability, product innovations, delivery, and technical support are the key to success in the construction chemicals market,” Swapnil suggests.

Why Chembond Chemicals?
The Construction Chemicals Division of Chembond offers a range of products for applications in concrete modification, waterproofing and repair and rehabilitation of structures. It also offers a host of other product solutions like sealants, concrete admixtures, tile fixing adhesives, tile joint fillers and engineering grouts aimed at the construction and civil engineering industries.

Chembond also has strong and professionally trained team across the country that focus on providing precise solutions to all customers including architects, builders, consultants, interior designers, contractors and applicators. The company provides products, technical support and professional guidance under one roof, especially in the field of concrete production, waterproofing and repairs.

“We have established ourselves in the Indian industry on three fronts – consistent quality, timely dispatch and prompt after sales technical support. Our dedicated team of energetic marketing professionals and technical service personnel are always available to address once queries and problems,” concludes Swapnil.

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The problem that an individual faces should be known, so that right solutions can be made available accordingly.

Swapnil R Deshmukh, Marketing Manager, Chembond Chemicals Ltd