| A fine "operating system", for many a person, is something that gives a clear view of the real world. So what if the window frame is synthetic? |
| It could even have advantages, as the DCM Shriram group would have you convinced. Its group company Fenesta, set up in 2004 on an investment of Rs 30 crore, is trying to make a big business of polyvinylchloride (PVC) window frames. |
| The unique selling proposition (USP)? These offer superior thermal and sound insulation in comparison with traditional frames. They keep out noise, and don't succumb to termites and so on. |
| Moreover, says Rajiv Sinha, deputy managing director, "PVC windows are reasonably cheap and offer a better look than the conventional wood or aluminum windows." |
| Another front in the plastic invasion? It seems to be. So will it displace wood and aluminium? To furnish an average two bedroom house of say eight to 10 windows would cost under Rs 1 lakh, according to DCM, though this varies depending on styles and finish. |
| This would appeal to institutional builders. The company, however, also expects to make headway with hospitals, schools and hotels battling the growing menace of noise pollution in India's crowded cities. |
| Fenesta has just redone the windows of Mumbai's Lilawati hospital, and is already working on several schools. Individuals, hopes DCM, would find something aesthetic about its PVC frames, though this may prove somewhat tougher as a sell. |
| PVC window frames have been successful in other parts of the world already. "Compared to other Asian markets, the market for PVC in India is still at a nascent stage," Sinha adds. |
| Polymers of various kinds are thought to have enomous potential in India. The size of the PVC market alone in India is estimated at one million tonnes, growing at 9 per cent annually. The group is looking at Rs 100 crore in revenue by the end of 2007. |
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