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Indian automotive and glass manufacturing industries are experiencing a pronounced boom at present. It is becoming more and more common for consumers to choose premium models and larger cars, which are also promoted by automakers in order to increase profits. Compared to previous models, these newer models feature more glass, including both exterior glazing and interior displays, resulting in more versatile, more functional, and more valuable products.

A strong recovery is also underway in Indian automobile manufacturing following the downturn resulting from the pandemic as well as disruptions caused by a shortage of supply. A number of automobile manufacturers and flat glass manufacturers are expanding their capacities. In addition, it seems that the time is ripe for more investments in glass plants, to serve the booming automobile industry and the equally burgeoning solar energy industry.

Having protection from cheap imports provided by anti-dumping duties on glass from countries with excess capacity and cheaper energy has encouraged Indian manufacturers to invest. In his article examining automotive glass in India, Rohan Gunasekera says that the situation has never been better for India’s glass manufacturers and that the country is today taking its rightful place among the automotive powerhouses of the world.

With improved energy efficiency, better protection, and better handling capabilities, intelligent coatings are becoming increasingly popular in glazing and packaging. In addition, glass manufacturers are increasingly shifting towards higher-value coated glass products, because they tend to yield higher margins.

Suppliers of coating machinery and glass manufacturers report significant demand for coated glass, ranging from architectural glazing to solar panels and windshields for automobiles as well as packaging.

In terms of business growth, the strong megatrend towards energy-efficient glazing is expected to play a significant role because coated double and triple insulating energy-saving glass are key solutions for energy conservation. The anticipated increase in demand for these specialised, high-performance glasses, combined with their vastly improved functionality, is driving glass manufacturers to heavily invest in coating technology. The industry cannot ask for better news than this, says Rohan Gunasekera in his feature on intelligent coatings.

The GCC region has benefited from a number of favourable factors that have contributed to its development as an important hub of cosmetics and perfumery production in the Middle East over the past two decades.

In addition to being accessible to fuel supplies at reasonable prices, the GCC is also one of the most cost-effective regions to produce container glass.

These competitive advantages have made Middle Eastern glass producers some of the world’s largest exporters of container glass. Yogender Singh Malik projects that, in the near future, cosmetics and perfumery, a niche subsegment within the container glass industry, will drive growth in that region.