What is the growth potential for access/fatade system from realty sector?
Realty sector still remains mystery for us. The silver lining is that more and more high rise towers and residential buildings are coming up with fatade; though in small scale. Equipment is required not only for fatade/access cleaning but for maintenance/access in the service areas like duct etc. These access/fatade equipment are required during construction stage also. This is a new avenue of growth.

Which are the major verticals that are expected to drive the demand?
The other avenues/opportunities opening up are power plants, wind mills, shipyards/dockyard, cement plants, steel plants, process plants, dams, bridges, etc. These are fast expanding verticals for access equipment.

How good is the demand from high rise construction?
People have started going for mechanised or automated equipment to increase the efficiency of the construction. This has become a must for high rise construction as it saves a lot of time and cost; many access system /equipment are being deployed which is a positive scenario.

Cost still seems to be a major deterrent. How do you address this challenge?
Devaluation has put a burden on landed cost of material. There is defiantly pressure on pricing of equipment which needs to be imported in a fully assembled condition. Indigenisation of some of the components is one area we are working on, without compromising on safety and quality. Overall expenditure for capital equipment has increased. We are setting this off by providing extended warranties and annual maintenance contract (AMC) and partial equipment renting.

Brief us on the solution offered by Simple Engineering.
We are offering innovative access systems which are customised/modular solution catering to the requirement at the construction stage. Thereafter, it is used as access equipment and finally for repair/maintenance, lifting of glass fatade, etc. This kind of access system can address various stages and ultimately brings down the cost of ownership. It could be simple safety line with rope access unit (Abseiling Unit/Spider Kit), portable jib system, rotating davit system, mono rail, to more sophisticated Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) having advance features such as automation and motorisation. Our range also includes aerial work platforms and snap fit aluminium scaffolding towers. We have complete solution for access systems for construction industry, power plants, wind mills, dams and bridges, elevator industry, shipping industry, offshore installations, ports, film process plants etc.

What are the challenges you face?
The major challenge is that the facade cleaning/access system is not mandatory/statutory requirement like other utilities. It is purely a buyer-driven requirement or at the most if some MNC insists upon builder/developer, then it becomes compulsory to deploy this system. Now another trend has come up that fatade cleaning/access system is being clubbed with fatade vendor/provider. This puts an additional financial burden on fatade vendor. Not being his domain/expertise, and then the corner cutting starts.

Do you think introduction of required BIS will help the growth of the industry?
BIS may not help in growth but it can formalise/organise the sector. This could be a major contribution, but will be helpful only if there is rule/regulation in place. Then it will add more teeth for compliance for safety and performance. It also providesa level playing field, which does not exist now. There are many players right from road-side fabricators to traders which bring container load of equipment/system from China which are basically cheap, non-performing and unsafe machines.

How do you look at the future scenario?
There is tremendous potential for these equipment and an exponential growth is expected in the near future. Even a tier-3 or tier-4 city will have exterior fatade. Henceforth, all buildings will have some kind of fatade. However, it needs to be seen that how many of these buildings will have fatade cleaning system.