CHENNAI: India’s uPVC window profile makers have raised the alarm over a surge in low-cost imports from China, warning that aggressive pricing is eroding domestic market share and threatening the viability of a Rs 13,000-crore industry.
Manufacturers in Tamil Nadu have asked the center to initiate an anti-dumping investigation and enforce mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) compliance at ports of entry.
Addressing reporters in Chennai on Tuesday, All India UPVC Profile Manufacturers Association president Iniyan Shivam said Chinese suppliers now control about 51% of the domestic market, leaving Indian manufacturers with a 49% share. “This is the tipping point and our survival is at stake,” said Senthil Murugan, chief executive of Erode-based Intact uPVC Systems.
Industry representatives said that imported profiles are being sold far below the domestic production costs and, in some cases, even below the prices of raw materials. They said the distortion is partly caused by India’s duty structure. While raw materials such as PVC resin and titanium dioxide attract higher anti-dumping duties, finished products imported from China face relatively lower duties.
The cost of uPVC window profiles in India ranges between Rs 130 and 180 per kg, while imported products are offered up to Rs 90 per kg.
