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Glass manufacturing plays an important role in Pakistan’s economy, providing employment opportunities and contributing to economic growth in other sectors. There has been a significant amount of activity in the country and its economy in 2024, including successes noted in the glass and construction industries, macroeconomic stability, signs of a revival in construction, as well as the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the International Monetary Fund. In addition, there was also a noticeable rise in urbanisation in the country, which led to a flurry of construction activity in cities such as Islamabad and Karachi, while the country’s GDP grew faster than the global average. Considering its large population and significant economy, Pakistan is one of the largest markets in South Asia for flat glass, containers, and tableware. In his insightful article, Yogender Singh Malik describes how Pakistan’s glass industry presents significant potential for growth and development, despite the challenges it faces. He emphasises the importance of modernisation, sustainability, collaboration, and government support for the industry to remain competitive and contribute to Pakistan’s economic prosperity.

The Chinese glass industry is expanding globally and becoming multinationals, just like their Western and Japanese counterparts. The entry of Chinese manufacturers into these markets follows a similar pattern to their presence in other industries. As a strategy to capture market share, companies typically start small, such as making components or parts, selling them at low prices and then expanding through acquisitions. In time, their access to additional expertise and know-how enables them to move up the value chain and develop their range of components, eventually enabling them to manufacture entire products. The strategy of first gaining a foothold and then taking over a market has proven to be an effective one so far. A number of factors contribute to this expansion ambition, including the reduced cost of labour, close access to regional markets and a desire to bypass trade barriers. Those international companies seeking to remain competitive in an already challenging market environment cannot afford to ignore China. Clearly, the Red Dragon has spread its wings far and wide and is taking the fight to the opposition on a global scale. Find out more about China’s game plan for and in the glass industry in Rohan Gunasekera’s exclusive.

Across Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have been developing foreign investment zones. Several of these projects are already operational and involve extensive construction activities for building industrial facilities, residential estates, as well as high-rise apartment blocks, creating a large market for construction glass. Economic zones catering to foreign investments are also being developed in these Central Asian Republics. Jahir Ahmed examines how these policies and activities will affect the glass industry in this important geographical region.

The automotive sector in India is growing strongly, which is driving significant capacity expansion among major players. The growth is driven by vehicle production, automobile demand, and automotive glass technology advancements. To meet such strong demand, India’s dominant auto glass manufacturers and other suppliers are expanding their capacity at this very moment, says Rohan Gunasekera.

AGI Greenpac, the leading Indian packaging company, is expanding into the Middle East and India in response to the growing demand for glass packaging, especially in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries. In this exclusive interview with Asian Glass, Rajesh Khosla discusses glass packaging solutions and how his company intends to be the global leader in this field.

On 12th June an unthinkable tragedy unfolded, claiming the lives of the passengers aboard the Air India flight. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends who bear the weight of this loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families and friends.