Flat Glass – A Success Element for Several Industries
The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the domestic construction, industrial and manufacturing activities during 2020. The construction sector is expected to recover, as most of the related industries started their operations in the first week of August 2020, however, most of the projects which were scheduled for early 2020 had been postponed. Thus, the growth is expected to take up pace in the latter part of the forecast period.
Over the medium term, the major factors driving the growth of the market studied are increasing demand from the construction industry as glasses are being used in windows, exteriors, doors, interior partitions, balustrades, shop fronts, and railings for stairs and balconies, among other building parts. Moreover, growing demand for electronic displays as the increasing demand for consumer electronics, such as televisions, smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearables, and other devices is also a factor, driving the market growth.
What is Flat Glass
Flat glass is the type of glass manufactured to keep the various industry demadn in mind. Flat glass is typically produced in plane form. It can also be used for windows, doors, transparent walls, and windscreens. Sometimes, flat sheets of glass are bent into shape after they have been produced for contemporary architectural and automotive applications. Various products and end-use industries are segmented into India's flat glass market. Flat Glass is classified according to its type, for example, annealed glass, coated glass, reflective glass, processed glass, and mirrors. By End-user Industry, the market is segmented into construction, automotive, solar and other end-user industries.
Types of Flat Glasses
Annealed glass – This is a softer glass that has been cooled slowly after being thermally treated to release any stress. By doing this, the glass is heat soaked until the temperature gets consistent throughout, which helps to keep it at a constant temperature. Consequently, annealed glass can be described as a glass treated during an annealing process. Annealed glass is commonly called "plate glass" or "window glass". During the annealing process, the glass is not subject to internal stress, which can affect its cutting, drilling, or polishing capabilities. As a result of not requiring an additional manufacturing process, anodized glasses tend to be more affordable than other types.
Float Glass – Float glass is produced through controlled cooling to relieve stress from the glass. The float glass can be called annealed glass, only if it is not heat strengthened or tempered. Float glass is known for its high-quality optical clarity, which makes it useful for many window applications. It can also be used as a material to produce other types of glasses, such as tinted glass and laminated glass.
Clear Glass - Clear glass is also a type of annealed glass with optimum clarity and transparency. There are a variety of uses of clear glass for building construction, including partitions, shower stalls, railings, facades, furniture, and storefronts.
Tinted Glass - Glass tinted with a film or coating can provide tint as well as reduce the light transmission of the glass. Another type of annealed glass is tinted glass. It is able to absorb about 30%-45% of the solar heat reflected on the surface of the tinted glass depending on its tint and thickness. Due to this, tinted glass helps keep buildings cooler than other glasses. An increase in these factors is expected to lead to a rise in annealed glass demand in the country.
Reason for Popularity
The flat glass is manufactured from some special chemicals, and the thicknesses of flat glass range from 2 mm to 20 mm, depending on the application. These glasses are often considered as building blocks for several types of architectural and interior applications.
Glasses are being used extensively in the construction industry, in windows, facades, doors, interior partitions, balustrades, shop fronts, and railings for stairs and balconies, among other building parts, providing potential opportunity to flat glasses.
This type of glass is body-tinted by adding melted pigments for the purpose of colouring and shielding the sun. Energy-saving, heat-reduction, and a striking aesthetic are just some of the benefits of using this type of glass.
Flat glass demand in India is expected to grow rapidly over the forecast period due to all the factors mentioned above.
Future Prospects
Market value for Indian flat glass reached over USD 2 billion in 2020, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period (2021-2026).
Building construction has led to the industry's growth in India. The construction & infrastructure industry holds the highest market share in the Indian flat glass market. Also, it resulted in the growing demand for flat residential building projects, government regulations about green & sustainable buildings, and the aesthetic appearance of flat glass.
