M A Waheed, Chairman, Perma Construction Aids Pvt. Ltd. talks about the major challenges faced by the construction chemicals makers in India

To keep with the pace of developments, construction chemicals industry took upon itself to develop products which not only make construction of modern structures possible by imparting easy workability, better strength development characteristics and expected performance in extreme environmental conditions and also to maintain structures through various climates extending their life.  Now a concrete admixture has become an essential fifth ingredient of concrete and construction and completion of a new structure can’t be imagined without the use of construction chemicals at various stages of construction.  

Construction chemicals
Starting from waterproofing compounds, construction chemicals have expanded range to ease the workmanship in demanding situations at various stages of construction. Today each full-fledged construction chemicals manufacturer manufactures fifty to hundred various construction chemicals. These construction chemicals can be divided into the following categories:
• Waterproofing compounds
• Tile fixing adhesives and joint fillers
• Repair and renovation products
• Admixtures for concrete and mortars
• Coating and protection products
• Construction and workmanship aids.
Dilemma within construction chemicals industry
Construction chemicals is a knowledge-based industry which has got to go on evolving itself with new products, technologies and specifications to keep the construction industry going. The relationship of construction chemicals to the civil engineering industry is exactly like that of a pharmaceutical industry to human body.

Today spurious integral waterproofing compounds, tile adhesives and tile joint fillers are being manufactured and sold in the market by the unorganised sector in such quantities that the organised sector can hardly catch up. Unfortunately this industry is without any support from civil engineering fraternity, architects, specifiers and the government.  Because of non-recognition and lack of knowledge about the importance of this industry, every manufacturer is fighting his own battle with the Central Excise or Sales Tax departments, to explain the classification of his product, which is not easy anyway even for an engineer to understand. The time and energy which is thus wasted could be harnessed for constructive developmental works.

Industry initiative
In an effort to safeguard their interest construction chemicals manufacturers have finally been able to form an association which is CCMA (Construction Chemicals Manufacturers Association). This association under the leadership of its current president is in touch with various organisations like FICCI, BIS, architects associations, civil engineering associations etc. to get a deserved status for this industry from the government, removing bureaucratic hurdles faced by this industry. The sensitiveness of this industry, its utility in the construction and nation building, demands that it be treated slightly differently with other manufacturers and the government needs to simply support it.

About PERMA
The growth factor and performance criteria for building products are expected to increase multi-fold in the 21st century. To bridge these gaps between performance expectation and the availability of quality construction chemicals, professionals with decades of experience in this field have joined hands to take up this challenge under the banner of “PERMA”.

The product range of PERMA consists of polymer-based tile fixing adhesives and coloured joint fillers, range of waterproofing chemicals, integral waterproofing compounds for concrete and mortars, water repellent coatings, structural and non structural bonding agents, repair additives for structural rehabilitation based on SBR and acrylics, range of admixtures for concrete, non shrink grouts for machine foundations, floor hardeners and sealers, epoxy floor self levellers, toppings and coatings etc. Besides this, Perma Seal, Perma Guard, Perma Bond SBR, Perma Crackfill, C-Tone Filler, and Perma Bond AR are some of the company’s major products widely accepted and used all over India.

The company plans to launch waterproof ready-to-use plaster and high strength structural repair powder for rehabilitation works along with polyurethane injection grouting material and pumps for injecting polyurethane. The company feels opening of ‘B’ class cities for construction chemicals are the primary growth drivers of PERMA’s type of business model. This market is growing at the rate of 30 per cent per annum. The company’s business network is through channel partners located all over India. They in turn supply material to dealers, contractors, applicators, builders etc.

India Oil Corporation, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Nuclear Power Corporation, Larsen & Toubro, Ennore Port project, Air India, Airport Authority of India, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation are some of the major costumers of PERMA. n

Authored by_

M A Waheed, Chairman,
Perma Construction Aids Pvt. Ltd.