Gujarat laminate industry is known as Creative, retailer friendly and trend setter in Decorative Laminates sector is slowly accepting the market changes. According to recent industry tele-survey, Covid 19 has been a solid reason that has given a new approach to laminate producers here. Gujarat, known as Manchester of Laminate production in India, for quality and innovative designs has been largely in 1.0 mm focused value added product category. During recent years, the rise of Non-Gujarat factories in decorative laminate segment has led to inclination towards lower thickness and cheap versions.
Now, the laminate producers from Gujarat have come forward to cater the demand of economical grade 0.8 mm laminate to meet their production capacity and future expansion plans. According to reports from raw material suppliers and producers, around 15 new folders are supposed to be launched in 0.8 mm category soon from Gujarat
The industries feel that, if one has to target North and East India markets, emerging demand of economical grade laminate cannot be ignored. In last two years, South and West markets too are steadily accepting more the thinner materials. Mr. Amrit Patel, Director of Signature laminate says that Gujarat Laminate producers have capacity to offer every kind of laminates but earlier they fixed themselves to 1 mm segment only, which is now changing’. Reports also suggest that 0.8 and liner laminate have helped manufacturers to bring up their capacity utilization upto 70 percent post covid, where as 1.0 mm producers are slogging with 35 to 40 percent. It is also being observed that North based units have reached to almost 65 % of pre-covid levels where as Gujarat based producers are struggling to reach to half of their levels. North based SME laminate sector is known for volumes and spread of network to small and rural market by offering economical grade products. The bigger capacity and cheaper version offering has helped new players to eat up some market shares of old players due to new price based offerings in pan India market. It is gradually visible that south India market too is being offered the same, which has been conventionally a Gujarat based 1 mm segment.