Glass

Glass as a material to be used in buildings has been around for centuries. But the importance that it has assumed in modernarchitecture transcends its status as a building component andelevates it to a status that perhaps no other material has reachedbefore. Today, glass is not just a means of letting light into a spaceand achieving protection from the elements, but a statement of style,awareness and an expression of the designer and the client'sideological stand on the environment

Global market for flat glassCurrent scenario

The global market for flat glass in 2008was approximately 38 milliontones, which represents a value of EUR 15 billion at the level of primary manufacture. An overwhelming 70 percent of the flat glassmanufactured in the world is used for windows and glazing for buildings and another 20 percent is used for furniture and other interiors applications in buildings. The remaining 10 percent is usedfor automotive glazing.In terms of usage within the building products market, about 40percent of the glass demand is for new build, 40 percent is for refurbishment and 20 percent is for interior applications.

Market players

Pilkington, Saint-Gobain, Asahi and Guardian are the four companiesthat produce 61 percent of the world's high quality float glass. It is aconsolidated market. While Asahi is a Japan-based company,Pilkington is based in the United Kingdom, Guardian in the UniteStates and Saint-Gobain in France. There about 12 other organizedplayers besides the top four and several unorganized ones, mostlysituated in China and produced low quality products. The percentageshare of these in terms of capacity is illustrated in the following table.

Geographical markets and level of maturity

Europe, China and North America account for 75 percent of theglobal demand for glass. Of these, Europe is the most mature marketfollowed by Japan and North America. Maturity of a market isindicated by a higher demand for value-added glass, stringentregulations for...