Why affordable housing developers are taking to construction chemicals

01 Apr 2019 CW Staff

Dr Vijay Raman, Business Director, Construction Chemicals, BASF South Asia sees construction chemicals playing an important role in the expansion of the affordable housing segment, by reducing the cost of construction. In India, he says, “as it is, inordinately long project completion periods significantly drive up the cost of labour and energy and overall project cost.”

“Affordable housing developers are budgeting for the use of construction chemicals, which is a good sign,” says Preetham Yeada, Associate Vice-President, Commercial & Corporate Strategy, MYK Arment. “Many affordable housing developers are fairly experienced players, and so they are aware of good construction practices.”

In an affordable housing project for the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board in Bengaluru, BASF’s Smart Dynamic Concrete (SDC), containing admixtures that increase flowability and ease of pumping of concrete at site, enabled the construction of a building of three floors in 20 days, vis-à-vis a minimum of 35 days when using traditional concrete. Essentially, SDC increased the speed of placing concrete by up to 40 per cent, thus speeding up the construction process. A total of 1,200 low cost flats were built in 18 months, as against the 30-36 months projection time. By lowering the cementitious content in concrete, SDC also helps reduce construction costs. Once in place, the concrete self-compacts and maintains durability.

SDC has also been used in Sobha Ltd’s Sobha Indraprastha residential project in Bengaluru project and Pashmina Developers’ Pashmina Waterfront residential project in Bengaluru.

“It is imperative that we don't build vertical slums in the name of affordable housing,” cautions Sanjay Bahadur, Group CEO, Construction Chemical Business, Pidilite Industries, alluding to the need to select an appropriate system for each project. For the best results, he says it is important to protect the general areas of application failure such as corners, and areas around pipes and expansion joints.

“In general, the affordable housing boom has increased the uptake of performance-enhancing construction chemicals,” concludes Basab Saha, Business Head, Dow Construction Chemicals, South Asia. However, he notes that developers can still do a lot more in terms of applying the latest construction tech solutions. “Affordable housing has the potential to absorb a variety of hybrid solutions such as acrylics, silicones, polyurethane and others, which can be offered in segments like precast, lightweight concrete and more.”

- CHARU BAHRI

Dr Vijay Raman, Business Director, Construction Chemicals, BASF South Asia sees construction chemicals playing an important role in the expansion of the affordable housing segment, by reducing the cost of construction. In India, he says, “as it is, inordinately long project completion periods significantly drive up the cost of labour and energy and overall project cost.”“Affordable housing developers are budgeting for the use of construction chemicals, which is a good sign,” says Preetham Yeada, Associate Vice-President, Commercial & Corporate Strategy, MYK Arment. “Many affordable housing developers are fairly experienced players, and so they are aware of good construction practices.”In an affordable housing project for the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board in Bengaluru, BASF’s Smart Dynamic Concrete (SDC), containing admixtures that increase flowability and ease of pumping of concrete at site, enabled the construction of a building of three floors in 20 days, vis-à-vis a minimum of 35 days when using traditional concrete. Essentially, SDC increased the speed of placing concrete by up to 40 per cent, thus speeding up the construction process. A total of 1,200 low cost flats were built in 18 months, as against the 30-36 months projection time. By lowering the cementitious content in concrete, SDC also helps reduce construction costs. Once in place, the concrete self-compacts and maintains durability.SDC has also been used in Sobha Ltd’s Sobha Indraprastha residential project in Bengaluru project and Pashmina Developers’ Pashmina Waterfront residential project in Bengaluru.“It is imperative that we don't build vertical slums in the name of affordable housing,” cautions Sanjay Bahadur, Group CEO, Construction Chemical Business, Pidilite Industries, alluding to the need to select an appropriate system for each project. For the best results, he says it is important to protect the general areas of application failure such as corners, and areas around pipes and expansion joints. “In general, the affordable housing boom has increased the uptake of performance-enhancing construction chemicals,” concludes Basab Saha, Business Head, Dow Construction Chemicals, South Asia. However, he notes that developers can still do a lot more in terms of applying the latest construction tech solutions. “Affordable housing has the potential to absorb a variety of hybrid solutions such as acrylics, silicones, polyurethane and others, which can be offered in segments like precast, lightweight concrete and more.”- CHARU BAHRI

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

Shyam Metalics Q4 Revenue Rises 27%

Shyam Metalics and Energy reported consolidated revenue of Rs 52.40 billion in Q4 FY26, registering 27 per cent year-on-year growth from Rs 41.39 billion in Q4 FY25. EBITDA rose 33 per cent to Rs 7.56 billion, while Profit After Tax increased 42 per cent to Rs 3.12 billion. Operating EBITDA grew 41 per cent to Rs 7.27 billion during the quarter.For FY26, the company posted consolidated revenue of Rs 185.52 billion, up 22 per cent over FY25. EBITDA stood at Rs 25.37 billion, while PAT increased to Rs 10.61 billion. Operating EBITDA for the year stood at Rs 23.33 billion, marking 25 per cent yea..

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

DHL Express Launches Heavy Weight Service

DHL Express has expanded its Time Definite International portfolio with the global launch of Heavy Weight Express, an air express solution for shipments weighing up to 1,000 kg per piece and 3,000 kg per shipment. The service will be available across more than 220 countries and territories.The new solution is designed for industries where timing, reliability and shipment visibility are critical. It offers time-definite delivery, end-to-end control, proactive monitoring and transparent all-in pricing. DHL said the service will help reduce uncertainty linked to capacity fluctuations, handling su..

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

Schaeffler India Opens Research Facility at IISC

Schaeffler India has announced the opening of a computational research infrastructure at the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID), Bengaluru, as part of its engagement with the Indian Institute of Science (IISC). The facility will support high-performance computing, large-scale simulations, data-intensive modelling and advanced analytics across materials, energy systems and sustainable mobility.The initiative includes dedicated lab space, advanced in-rack cooling systems, power backup and high-performance hybrid computing workstations or clusters. It is expected to improve ..