To improve the market proposition of PEB the government too is taking some positive steps. A lot of these measures will allow us to manufacture a lot of products right here in India, in-house, reducing our dependence on imports says Alakesh Roy, Managing Director, Zamil Steel India Pvt Ltd.

How has the current turn of events increased the importance and the use of PEB in the construction sector?
The whole concept of PEB is well entrenched in the mind of the customer. Having said that, the fact that PEB requires lesser manpower will be highlighted even more since all the infra projects are working with reduced workmen. The current pandemic has also put on-site fabrication on a backseat. This in turn has also elevated the use of PEB and I expect this trend to continue not only now, but also once things are back to normal.

When it comes to the demand for your PEB products in residential, commercial and industrial projects, which one offers a lucrative proposition?
The industrial segment has been the major market for PEB. There was some demand in the commercial segment too. However, with “work from home” being the new norm, the demand in the commercial segment has taken a hit. Once the economic activity returns to normal, I believe the industrial segment will continue to be a lucrative option for PEB. To improve the market proposition of PEB the government too is taking some positive steps. A lot of these measures will allow us to manufacture a lot of products right here in India, in-house, reducing our dependence on imports. The product pricing thereby will become more competitive allowing us to thrive.

Today there are no technological barriers which existed earlier. Indians are skilled, in fact, it will not be incorrect to say that we drive the global economy across various sectors. The availability of a skilled gene pool will ensure that we can make the world class PEB products right here in India. This will also turn out to be a golden opportunity in showcasing India’s stand on manufacturing, technology and quality.

How are you mitigating the lockdown?
We have resumed operations from 4th of May and we are currently operating at 30-35 per cent manpower in our manufacturing facility. We are hopeful that in the next two months we will be allowed to operate with 90 per cent manpower. Though the issue of the migrant workforce is not much of an issue for us, it is going to have an impact on most of our clients’ projects, as they depend on them. A psychology of fear has scaled up owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and it will take some time for the present situation to normalise. It will take some time to rekindle the confidence in people to get back to their normal routines.

We have always adhered to the concept of social distancing even before the term was coined. All our factories have been ergonomically designed to ensure a safe distance between two and more individuals at work. Our offices, unlike any other office, are not cramped, each of our employees have access to a 2m X 2m workspace. This is the beauty of a MNC like Zamil, which takes care of its employee’s safety and convenience with or without any pandemic situation like this.

Zamil is an R&D enabled organisation, what are some of the important innovations in PEB that you have introduced in the Indian market?
We have consistently focused on innovations, we have upgraded on material strength and optimized our functional efficiencies to reduce wastage. This in turn has allowed us to reduce cost and pass on the benefit to the customer. We agave started offering integrated solutions as opposed to discrete solutions. Plates, tubes, hot roll product & solutions, can be integrated seamlessly. In doing so, we have been helping the industry and likewise, it has allowed the client too to perceive us in a different way.

What is your current market share? What are some of the big ticket projects Zamil is involved in?
India, as also South East Asia is an important market for us. Currently, in India, our market share is 15 per cent. We are involved in railway projects in a major way. All the railway projects, right from the Coach factory to the maintenance workshops and projects, in Sonepat, Latur, Jhansi, Varanasi, Gaya, Kanpur, Howrah, Ludhiana etc. are everywhere. We also worked with sub-stations and the electricity distribution network station for Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. In fact, last year we have gone for capacity and capability expansion, across our plants in India and Vietnam and also upgraded the product range, to cater to the global markets.