Established in 2008, KPT Piping System is a producer of various kinds of piping solutions. The company has been involved in the manufacturing of PPR–C piping systems, pneumatic pipes, and thermal FR composite pipes. In a conversation with Tube & Pipe India, Mr. Ankur Periwal, Managing Director, KPT Piping System Pvt. Ltd. reveals the company’s journey and future roadmap.
Tube & Pipe India: Could you please give us a brief outline of the business journey of your company?
Ankur Periwal: KPT Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s leading plastic pipe manufacturing companies. The company was formed in 2007 and started production in September 2008. Since then, we have been constantly improving ourselves, growing our business as well as enhancing our capabilities. It has been a very good journey for the last 15 years though there have been a lot of ups and downs. We are focusing on developing products as per German standards while using raw materials from one of the best companies in the world, Hyosung Corporation, a Korean Industrial conglomerate. Through that, we are targeting various segments in the industry, where we can show our capabilities.
TPI: Kindly cast some light on the infrastructure and machinery installed in your facility. Are you planning any expansion in the coming years?
AP: As of now, we have five extruders and 21 injection molding machines. We are coming up with another plant in the same location and we plan to enhance the capacity from the existing 400 metric tons to 800 metric tons. We would be doubling up the machines and ancillaries for PPR pipes and fittings, which will make us the largest player in the Indian subcontinent.
TPI: Tell us about your product portfolio along with its key strengths and applications.
AP: Our product portfolio primarily comprises PPR pipes and fittings. In PPR, we specialize in various categories such as pneumatic applications, chiller plants, RO water applications, and firefighting applications. We have all the products related to PPR up to 450 mm. In the new plant, we plan to have PPR fittings up to 630 mm.
PPR pipe is comparatively expensive and a highly-specialized product that works best with chilled water and high-pressure applications. It has a thermal conductivity of only 0.24 W/mK, which is the best in the world. Secondly, PPR can withstand temperatures from -10 to 110 degrees. That is the kind of temperature variation which very few products in the piping industry can offer.
We are coming up with another plant in the same location and we plan to enhance the capacity from the existing 400 metric tonnes to 800 metric tonnes.
TPI: What are the recent developments and what will be your future plans?
AP: We have just opened an EPCbased company name KP FLUX ENGINEERS where we are going to provide turnkey solutions in PPR. With the expansion of capacity, our future plan is to grow in the market. Recently, we got NSF certification, which no other company in India has for PPR pipes and fittings. It is a very prestigious addition to our portfolio because we claim to be the best in the Indian market for PPR pipes and fittings. We are taking various international certifications to promote our product in the global market as well. The Indian market is at a very nascent stage at this moment. We are hoping to double up the capacity and revenue within the next three years.
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TPI: Please shed some light on the market footprint and clientele of your company. How do you foresee the market evolving in the near future?
AP: We have a 20-25% market share in the PPR piping industry. Predominantly we target the industrial segment; however, now, we are expanding to the residential segment as well. We are eyeing high-rise apartments and other applications like ETPs and STPs. Our product is performing very well in all these segments. Ultratech, TVS Group, Page Industries Ltd. Larsen & Toubro Ltd, and Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Pvt. Ltd. are some of our esteemed clients.
In the coming years, PPR is going to be a ‘value-for-money’ product in the piping market. India’s GDP is growing at 7% and we expect a similar growth rate for the next few years. With the world opening up post-COVID-19, I hope that the market would be in very good shape. As per our PM’s vision, India is on its way to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy. To make it a reality, every industry needs to contribute and we are doing our bit.
