Composites Ind eyes defence, auto and marine engg sectors

The Rs-5,000 crore Indian composites industry seeks government support in the form of special grants, incentives and sops to grow and offer defence equipments at lower costs.
Composites industry also known as reinforced plastics (combining of polymer, glass fibre or carbon fibre) industry is aligning with the Union Government's 'Make in India' programme and expects immediate intervention in the form of special grants, incentives and sops to grow.
"Composites market in India is not fully tapped and offers tremendous opportunities for composites manufacturing in the coming years. This makes an apt case for 'Make in India'. The current rate of growth in the composites industry is a meagre 6 per cent in spite of huge untapped potential," FRP Institute Chairman S C Lakkad told reporters here.

"In order to build on the underlying opportunities, we urge the Government's unwavering support and interventions by way of incentives," he said, adding he also cited the need for increased awareness and visibility for composites, investment in technology and manufacturing of composites.
The industry is looking at opportunities in defence, auto, wind energy and marine engineering sectors, he said.
The industry participants have urged the Government for immediate attention as they feel that with government support it can unleash the potential of the industry to the fullest. The per capita usage of composites in India is just 0.25 kg compared to that of 10 kg in USA indicating a clear potential for composites manufacturing in India.

Further, compared to China, which produces a mammoth 60,00,000 tonnes of composites per annum, where as India just stands at 3,40,000 tonnes of production per annum.

Worldwide the consumption of composites is above
50,000 tonnes and about 30 per cent consumption of composites material is used for defence, where as the consumption in Indian defence sector is abysmally low, Russia and China started guarding for India's lucrative market.
As a result, Indian composites industry, which has been growing with a lower rate of 5 per cent per annum compared to the global rate of 12 per cent per annum is taking a big hit.

The Indian composites industry is fully capable of supplying 100 per cent of requirements of the defence sector, if given due support. Composite materials are emerging as an innovative alternative for steel and aluminium and hence, can be used in defence equipment manufacturing.
FRP Institute, a society for promotion of the composites is organising flagship 'International Conference & Exhibition on Reinforced Plastics (ICERP 2017), between January 10-12 in Mumbai. Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to inaugurate the event.