The burgeoning manufacturing sector and heavy investments in infrastructure is expected to provide an impetus to the Rs 5000 crore plus composite (reinforced plastic) industry in India. Production of composites involves combining polymer and glass fibre or carbon fibre in order to produce a material that is lighter yet stronger than steel. The Indian composite plastic industry is expected to grow at a remarkable rate of around 25% in the next 4-5 years, benefiting from opportunities predominantly prevalent in transport, infrastructure, wind energy and oil and gas segments. Using composites offer the advantages of high strength, low maintenance costs and corrosion resistance.
The total production of composites was about 75,000 tons in 2004-2005, notes a TIFAC report, and it had risen to 110,000 tons in 2005-2006. As per the report, the growth sectors include:
* Wind Energy
India has made tremendous progress in the wind power sector where composite consumption has exceeded that of China and Japan . India is the fourth largest generator of wind power in the world and Indian company Suzlon Energy Ltd. has emerged as one of the leading suppliers of wind turbines in the global market. It is estimated that roughly
100,000 MW of power can be produced in India from only small wind turbines of 10-500 KW capacity.

* Chemical Equipment
The major use of composites in India began with the chemical industry because of excellent corrosion resistance of composites. Applications in this sector include chemical equipment, piping and fire fighting breathing apparatus. Composite pipes find applications in sea-water intakes and effluent discharge in desalination plants, as ducts in the chemical industry, as cross-country water transmission pipelines, sewer pipelines etc. Composites are also being used for fabricating cooling tower units where the composite materials resist the corrosive effects of moisture.

* Rail
Composites were identified as a potential material for application in the Indian Railways in the early 1980s for many passenger coach components such as louvre and glass shutters, window sills and frames, trays for battery boxes, ceilings, and flooring. The railways were working towards the complete elimination of timber and plywood in the coaches. The present consumption of composite materials by Indian Railways is estimated at about 8000 tons, with an annual growth rate of 20%.

* Automotive
The automobile industry is another sector where significant amounts of composite materials have been used in passenger cars, scooters and helmets. The growth rate of composites used in the automotive sector is shown below:

* Oil and Gas
There are a vast number of potential applica­tions for composites in the oil and gas sector in India over the coming years in high-pres­sure pipes and pipe fittings. Current offshore structural applications of composites include low-pressure pipe, gratings, handrails, equipment covers or enclosures and ladders. Because of their low weight, corrosion resist­ance, improved life-cycle costs and enhanced safety, it is predicted that composite materials can capture 50% of this market in the oil and gas sector in the next 5-6 years.

* Marine
The use of composites for boat building applications started in early 1970s for replac­ing wood because of the advantages of corrosion resistance, ease of fabrication, improved performance and low cost. The marine mar­ket for composites stood at around 1000 tons per year in 2006 and this is expected to grow to 3000 tons by 2010. Applications include leisure boats, houseboats, and speedboats.

An analysis of the market reveals that although many small fabricators are using hand lay-up methods for manufacturing composite products, the use of computer controlled, advanced fabrication techniques such as filament winding, pultru­sion and resin transfer moulding (RTM) is growing rapidly, reports TIFAC.

The Indian composite industry has a strong manufacturing base (with automated processes) and good design and development expertise. Global companies like Dupont, DSM, Sabic, Amiantit, Pentair, Georgia Pacific, Fibergrate, Saertex, Vestas, Hepworth, Beluga Tanks, Suzlon, LM and Enercon have entered in the Indian market and have established strong base for export and local demand. The trend of the industry is now of consolidation and automation. Several companies are investing in newer technologies to improve productivity and quality to meet increasing demands of local as well as export market.
There is a huge potential for use of composites in the Indian automobile industry, especially for catering to the transportation needs of growing middle-class population. There would be a good market for hoods, cabs, frames, and cargo containers that could be used as part of these locally-built vehicles. Other opportunities for the Indian composites industry include refrigerated freight containers, pressure vessels, fishing boats, walkways and piles for building foundations, and air intake manifolds.