India's water-based adhesive market is developing rapidly

India's water-based adhesive market has benefited from strong growth in the packaging and coatings industry, showing rapid development momentum. The US consulting firm Frost & Sullivan analyzed in recent days that despite the challenges of imported raw material price fluctuations, the rapid economic development of India, coupled with the huge domestic demand market and the environmental advantages of water-based adhesives, is expected to be the market in India in 2016. The scale will reach 66.67 million US dollars.

India's water-based adhesive products mainly include polyvinyl acetate (PVA) and acrylic emulsions. Polyvinyl acetate is mainly used for wood products adhesives, paper processing, book binding, handicrafts, etc. Compared with urea formaldehyde resin and phenolic resin, it is more environmentally friendly. Acrylic emulsions are roughly classified as styrene, vinyl, and pure acrylic emulsions. They are mainly used in paints, labels, textiles, packaging, and construction chemicals.

In 2010, India's PVA production was 60,000 tons, and the market concentration was relatively high. Major major companies accounted for 88% of the total market output, sales revenue accounted for 92%, and exported a small amount of PVA to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In 2010, the production of acrylic emulsion in India was 220,000 tons, of which the largest market share was styrene emulsion, which accounted for 61% of the total output. From the overall market, the imports of acrylic emulsions are negligible. At present, 15% to 20% of the total output of acrylic emulsions in India is exported to other countries in South Asia, mainly styrene-based emulsions.

The two major water-based adhesive materials required for the Indian market are mostly imported. According to Frost & Sullivan's survey, because the imported raw materials are cheaper, no PVA manufacturer's raw materials come from India. The raw materials of acrylic emulsion are also mainly from South Korea and China, so the price fluctuation of raw materials directly affects the product prices.

In addition, India's water-based adhesive market also faces some challenges. Due to the high concentration of PVA market in India, the most important issue for new entrants is to build their own brand, so that more users are willing to try new products. This requires manufacturers to have a strong distribution capabilities, so that the products sold in the national market. In addition, as consumers become more environmentally conscious, wood is increasingly being replaced by materials such as steel, aluminum, and glass, resulting in reduced PVA consumption. For acrylic emulsion manufacturers, downstream paint production plants often issue large-volume orders and it is critical to meet this demand in a timely manner. In contrast, larger producers are more competitive than smaller manufacturers. In addition, due to the poor performance of water-based adhesives compared to solvent-based adhesives, such as weak shear strength, poor compatibility, poor moisture resistance, and easy foaming during application, it affects the market promotion.

Frost & Sullivan believes that the key to the success of India's water-based adhesive market is the establishment of a good distribution network and innovative marketing methods. Despite fierce competition in the industry and unstable raw material prices, the market for waterborne adhesives in India is still growing. The increasing demand for end use will greatly promote the development of the market. The growth of wooden house construction, handmade products and household products in India will drive the demand for adhesives.

The rapid growth of the real estate industry in India has also accelerated the growth of the furniture industry, thereby stimulating increased demand for PVA. Manufacturers are also eyeing the untapped Indian countryside, where consumption potential is huge. In addition, the packaging industry with an annual growth rate of 14.6% will drive up the demand for acrylic emulsions. Compared with solvent-based adhesives, acrylic emulsions will have a smaller investment in production and can be reduced in cost through technological improvements.