MR AKSHAY GARG, DIRECTOR, BLACK COBRA GROUP
COMPANY – Black Cobra Group
BRAND – Black Cobra Impression
PLANT LOCATION – Yamunanagar, Haryana
CAPACITY – 25000 sheets per month
NO. OF DESIGNS IN FOLDER – 130
SPECIALTY OF THE FOLDER – It has unique collection of metallic designs that enable customers to surpass the creativity and imagination.
How did you come into PVC laminate manufacturing?
Black Cobra Group has been at the forefront of building materials manufacturing. We are probably the only group in India to have such an extensive portfolio of products ranging from plywood to ACP. Since termites and humidity are a big issue in India, we first started by setting up a state of the art WPC manufacturing unit in Yamunanagar. After analyzing the initial customer response and demands, we saw a spike in demand for locally manufactured PVC Laminates as the imported ones were of very bad quality. We decided to setup a PVC laminate plant in 2017 and we haven’t looked back since.
How do you see the future of PVC laminate in India? What is the reason behind it?
We are very bullish on the future of PVC Laminates in India because its unique properties enable it to grab significant market share from the premium 1mm paper laminate market. It’s unique qualities of being glossy, durable and bendable (which gives a much better aesthetic look), place the PVC laminates market at a very strong foothold. In addition to this, the PVC liner market is set to grow rapidly as it’s best suited for back panelling / waterproofing.
In the last two years what were new trade develop and what affect you saw after it?
Initially PVC laminates had only solid colors. After that, many new shades such as marble, wood grain, veneer, high gloss, rustic, metallic, etc were developed to meet the ever changing needs of the Indian customers.
According to you why should a customer choose PVC laminates for their laminating needs?
In addition to long durability, their unique quality of being bendable (which avoids the need of edge banding) saves cost as well as the end result is much more aesthetically pleasing. This makes it a strong contender against the 1mm paper laminate in terms of price, applications and durability..
Architects and OEMs are not much fascinating or aware about using PVC laminates. What is your view?
Our view is that whenever a new innovation happens, it takes time to gain consumer and influencer trust. The PVC Laminates story is just beginning to catch traction in India, and there’s a long time to go before it gains large market share.
There are a number of application ache, like scratches, problem in cutting, not proper bending/pasting and grooving. What is your view?
We need to invest in training the carpenters to use industry standard operating procedures to avoid such issues and gain customer satisfaction. The knowledge of using diamond cutters, V Groove cutters for bending and the right adhesive combinations for pasting on different materials, needs to be created and circulated to ensure that these application aches do not arise.