Jyoti Devjani for Hanita Coatings Tough, dependable, life-saving... that's what you call a safety zone. In Israel, the epicentre of the Middle East, safety zone films have been tried and tested - time and again. Hanita Coatings has been specialising in metallising, multi-laminate laminating and chemical coating for diverse industrial applications over the past 30 years. And now, the company recently stepped into India in association with Auto Sonics India to introduce its solar and safety window films. Jyoti Devjani, Director, Auto Sonics India (an exclusive partner of Hanita Coatings for window films in India), elaborates upon the company's vision for the country in conversation with SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN. An expert in film conversion, what type of film does Hanita Coatings' offer? The base is a polyester film that is converted using our advanced technology and chemical processing, depending on end use. We offer a wide variety of solar control, safety, exterior, polyzone and safety-solar combination films including reflective, dual reflective, clear, spectrally selective and specialty products that meet anyone's requirement. What makes the product green? As these films help reduce the solar heat gain. By installing these, you may cut down your energy consumption by up to 30 per cent. Also, HVAC systems don't have to work hard to heat or cool the room. This also helps save energy and money. You can earn up to eight LEED points by using these films. How is your offering different from existing products? We support the project right from site survey to measurements and verification after the film is installed. Based on the goals of the building, desired shading coefficients and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) values, we recommend a product that matches the requirement of every client. Our specialities include exterior films especially designed to be applied from the outside and to withstand outdoor conditions; solar safety combinations that provide energy efficiency and safety at the same time; and PolyZone films, especially for polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic glazing. Any specialised programme for energy efficiency? We first conduct a building survey and gather data to understand the project details including the building's orientation, glazing system and the HVAC system. Based on this, we then conduct energy modelling and simulation and offer multiple options of films along with their effect on energy consumption and the payback period. How is the film priced? The energy-efficient films pay back for themselves within one to three years or sooner. However, purely in terms of price, it varies from project to project, product to product anywhere from Rs 80 per sq ft to Rs 290-300 per sq ft. Why India? Hanita chose India owing to its potential for energy conservation. Having already executed projects in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, the plan now is to go pan-India. Tell us about the company's partnership with Auto Sonics India. Auto Sonics India is promoting the Hanita range of solar and safety films in India. This generates awareness of simplicity of working with Hanita to reduce energy consumption, costs and achieve green goals. What are your initial projects? There's the Hyatt in Pune, Four Seasons in Mumbai, Repro's corporate office, the British High Commission and Korean Embassy in Mumbai, etc. As the products will be imported, what's the time frame to receive them? A large inventory is maintained in India to meet maximum requirements. If it's a big project with a specialised requirement, it may take us about six weeks to ship the product. Do you have some offerings for retrofits? As installing window films is amongst the easiest and most economical ways to reduce energy consumption and costs, retrofit is one of our biggest markets.