Kitchen Sector Demands More of CALIBRATED PLYWOOD

FDT Bureau

Plywood industry is as usual mainly catering to retail markets and being the most reliable and known product among consumers holds the biggest chunk of wood panel market share in India. Despite very mature presence across the markets and rural areas, the product category is hit by slowdown. The time is undoubtedly slow for all the materials because demand is badly hit by poor performance of realty sector. But there is an opportunity when commodity prices and raw material prices are down. The producers have been failing to be assertive with right offering and appropriate push in readymade furniture making category.

In India, there are opportunities in plenty but product choice and their offering to the market has been more volume centric so far. At present, the modular furniture manufacturer acknowledge the use of plywood in furniture, beds, kitchen cabinetries, wardrobes, sofas but their need and demand for Calibrated Plywood is not met by domestic industries. The Plywood industry has been to unable to deliver real 'Calibrated Plywood' that can be smoothly used by in furniture making category and pre-hung Door making sector. With a nominal growth of 6 percent, Plywood category is due for a speedy track change. According to present estimates, Indian Kitchen/Furniture Industry is ready and adoptive for real calibrated plywood if available. A survey among 170 OEMs clearly hinted the possible opportunity this product segment has.

According to finding and estimate, Indian Furniture industry will require around 900 of trucks of calibrated plywood every month. So far a few companies including Green Ply have been able to create proper set up and ability to produce 'Calibrated Plywood'. Indian furniture makers need a significant change in process flow of making plywood for genuinely homogeneous thickness plywood, which is prevented from bending tendencies.