/ October 2017 / Indian Plumbing Today70

MANUFACTURERSPEAKS

IPT: IPA has put up an excellent plumbing lab in Pune and Bhubaneswar. India needs many such labs across the country. Have you ever thought of funding a plumbing lab somewhere in India?

SA: As of now we have neither thought anything about this nor have we have received any proposal but we are open to such initiative and discussion.

IPT: Corporates are spending large funds as CSR. Does your organisation spend its CSR funds on any plumbing related activity in India?

SA: Sekisui has recently sign a MoU with IPSC under NSDC program of Govt. of India to improve the skills of the building services workforce by imparting training in the area of plumbing. This training program will help these plumbers to learn technical skills faster which in turn helps them achieve personal growth and higher income. Sekisui believes in training and development of plumbers who play an important role in installing a good plumbing system and help society to stay away from many communicable diseases.

IPT: You are aware of IPA's activities. Are there more ways that IPA can support the Indian plumbing industry?

SA: Yes, IPA is playing a big role in educating and creating awareness about good plumbing practices in India. I believe it is important for a country like India where education and knowledge of young people will play a game changer role in future as

IPT: What is Sekisui’s compound that you supply for manufacturing CPVC and other plastic pipes superior than competing brands?

SA: Sekisui Durastream CPVC compound is made from Sekisui’s unique raw material resin manufacturing technologies. Sekisui’s unique PVC polymerization and Chlorination technology (Heat Chlorination Method - Patented Technology) makes it possible to manufacture chlorinated polyvinyl chloride of superior quality.

Sekisui is having more than 40 years of experience in CPVC & Sekisui is the only company in the World which undertakes every step of production from PVC polymerization to the manufacturing and selling of finish products such as pipes.

IPT: India is a hot, sunny tropical country. Do you have to modify your raw material so that the end products can have a long life in these hot conditions in India?

SA: As you know each region has its own requirements depending upon the climatic condition, application and customer specific requirements. Our R&D team will develop special products and provide a tailor made solution accordingly to fulfill needs of customers around the world.

IPT: Does your company do R&D in India or is all R&D done in Japan?

SA: We do not have R&D facility in India - we have centralized R&D only in Japan at this moment for CPVC.

SAURAB AGGARWAL

Indian Plumbing Today / October 2017 / 71

approximately 50% of the population of our country is around 25 years old. Bringing plumbing professionals under one roof is another such big initiative by IPA that will surely help Indian industry to grow more focused. IPA’s tie up with ISH is also a good move which will take Indian plumbing industry to the next level.

IPT: What do you think will be the impact of ‘ISH powered by IPA’ on the Indian plumbing industry?

SA: ISH is the World’s largest trade show for Plumbing and Building technology. It will definitely have a big impact on Indian plumbing industries in terms of exposure to new technology, innovation, installation methods in the field of plumbing and building technology

IPT: What is your opinion on the current status of plumbing industry in India?

SA: Indian plumbing industry has witnessed a lot of changes over a period of time. For the past few years, the plumbing industry in India is growing at a double digit figure. This is because of the growth in the construction market driven by schemes launched by government of India like ‘Housing for All by 2022’, access of clean drinking water by each village, ‘Smart Cities’ etc. These initiatives are helping to increase demand of plumbing products. Due to growth in construction and the rising demand of new plumbing technology, specially for developing projects under smart cities, India needs skilled/trained plumbers to install these fixtures. Today’s plumbing is not just merely about fixing a tap. With more complex buildings being designed and constructed, there is a growing need for trained plumbers. According to a National Skill Development Council (NSDC) survey, just 0.5 % of plumbers in the country are trained. There is a requirement of 12

lakh trained plumbers by 2020, while the current availability is 2.5 lakh, with most of them untrained or self-trained.

In short I can say that IPA had done a great job in India for creating awareness and educating society about good plumbing practices through their various initiatives but still IPA has a long way to go and reach a state where plumbers are recognized as a “health keepers to the nation” and not treated like general labour.

IPT: Are end users of plastic pipes aware about the relation between good quality raw material and the life of plastic pipes?

SA: The awareness and education level has been increased over a period of time to impart knowledge about good plumbing systems and its importance. Still, a lot needs to be done at the individual level for the retail segment of market where no technical consultants are involved in decision making.

IPT: Which are the third party certifications that your products have?

SA: Sekisui CPVC compound is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 14 ipt

Mr. SAURAB AGGARWALis Sr. Manager- Marketing & Business Development (SAARC Region) Sekisui Chemical India Pvt. Ltd.