What is the core philosophy of Visaka Industries?
Visaka Industries Limited’s core philosophy is to make the world a better place by focusing on sustainable technologies, products, and services. Our presence in sustainable business lines such as Fibre Cement Boards (Vnext), Sustainable Yarn (The Wonder Yarn), and Integrated Solar Roofs (ATUM) ensures that our businesses remain relevant in the future where consumers will prefer sustainable and eco-friendly technologies, products, and services, which will also be favourably looked upon by investors and regulators.
Our efforts in the space of sustainability has so far saved over 5 lakh trees, reduced CO2 emissions by over 1 lakh tons, and 116 million pet bottles have been recycled. To bring the discussion back to where we started, we are committed to make the world a better place to live, and our CSR activities are centred around it. Thanks to our innovative Integrated Solar Roof ATUM, we have distributed over 50 push carts powered by ATUM Solar Roof to the street vendors and have embarked on a journey to Electrify Rural India by way of installing ATUM Solar Roof for free over the homes of underprivileged.
What sets your brand apart from your competitors?
What sets us apart is our core business ethos of focusing on products and technologies which are sustainable and minimize our carbon footprint. At Visaka Industries Limited, we have a robust Research & Development wing, which is continuously working on products and technologies which help the environment and are eco-friendly.
Tell us a little about your product portfolio.
Increasingly being accepted by the real estate and interior design fraternity, our Vnext Boards are used in applications like False Ceiling, Partition, Mezzanine, Roof Underlay, Kitchen Cabinets/Shelves & Doors; in the Industrial and Residential (Builders) Segment for the False Ceiling application, Grid Ceiling; for External Cladding and Gate Cladding; and, for all Prefabricated applications, PEB Structures and LGSF Walls. Architects, Interior Designers, Carpenters all use Fibre Cement Boards extensively.
The line extensions under Vnext are Vboards, Vplanks, Vpanels, and Vpremium. We have installed over 710 million square feet of the board until now. The year 2018 saw the launch of Vnext Infill, a revolutionary load-bearing wall solution made of steel that is engineered to improve construction speed and utility.
What makes Vnext an exceptional construction material and what are your plans for it?
We are the market leader in the Fibre Cement Boards (FCB) segment. Our brand, Vnext, commands a market share of more than 25%, and the total market potential of FCB in India is approximately 400000 mts PA. Fibre Cement Boards and sheets are composite building and construction materials, mainly used in roofing and facade products due to their strength and durability. In addition, the increasing demand for energy-efficient buildings is also boosting the growth of the market.
Our Vnext Fibre Cement Boards are sustainable and can play a very big role in conserving our environment and in stopping deforestation as they are viable alternatives to plywood and gypsum. Not just that, they are also resistant against three major threats for construction – Termite, Water and Fire. This makes Vnext FCBs a preferred choice for most of the construction requirements.
What are your upcoming innovations at Visaka?
Apart from innovating and introducing new products which augment our Vnext Fibre Cement Boards, we at Visaka Industries are also focusing on ATUM Integrated Solar Roof. A revolutionary product, ATUM is patented in both Indian and South Africa as the world’s first integrated solar roof.
ATUM is a completely integrated, seamless solar roof made with poly or mono-crystalline solar cells and Fibre Cement Boards – a highly durable roofing material, making it the world’s first solar panel which can be directly used as a roof.
Compared to a conventional rooftop, which has a lifespan of 15 years, ATUM has a lifespan of 30 years. ATUM has been successfully installed across many locations in India, including Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra), Hyderabad (Telangana), Kolkata (West Bengal), Uttarakhand and Sharjah, UAE.
