Indowud produces NFC board from agricultural husks to save forest
ECONOMY & POLICY

Indowud produces NFC board from agricultural husks to save forest

The Earth is losing forests at the rate of about 50 football fields every minute, and to solve this problem Indowud, a three-year-old company with operations in the Chennai outskirts is producing a natural fibre composite (NFC) board from agricultural husks.

Founder of Indowud, and a former plywood entrepreneur, BL Bengani, said Indowud NFC is wood without wood. Bengani established Uniply, which he sold in 2015.

Indowud NFC boards have only agricultural husks as the basic raw material while wood fibre boards have wood particles in them, said Bengani.

The company procures about 3,000 tonnes of husks yearly. The unit’s production capacity is 5,000 tonnes to produce about 2 lakh sheets. A saving of about 10,000 cubic metres of natural wood annually, he said.

The concept of making boards from agricultural husks came during a US visit. Indowud NFC was launched in 2019 after almost two years of research.

As the current generation cares about problems like sustainability and environmental protection, it was the correct time to enter with a sustainable product, said Bengnani.

The husks are ground to powder form and then dried at 70-80 degrees to decrease the moisture content. The fibre is pulverised to obtain a fine powder. Certain additives are added, including minerals, natural, and PVC resin combinations imported from South Korea and Japan. The powder is then rolled out into plywood sheets, he said.

Indowud can be moulded in any shape and provides architects the flexibility of designing things as per their imagination while plywood cannot be bent or twisted, said Iyappan, a carpenter.

Kishore Panikkar, Partner, architectureRED, used Indowud panels to reach the seamless sinuous form of the central helical staircase in Chennai's residential project. The material lends itself to bending easily and in two directions while maintaining stability and strength.

The availability of agricultural husks is plentiful near the company’s plant located at Gummidipoondi on the Chennai-Kolkata Highway. This offers an incremental revenue to the farmers, who would otherwise dump these agricultural husks as waste.

Image Source

Also read: Century Plyboards looks to triple MDF capacity to 1,800 cubic m

The Earth is losing forests at the rate of about 50 football fields every minute, and to solve this problem Indowud, a three-year-old company with operations in the Chennai outskirts is producing a natural fibre composite (NFC) board from agricultural husks. Founder of Indowud, and a former plywood entrepreneur, BL Bengani, said Indowud NFC is wood without wood. Bengani established Uniply, which he sold in 2015. Indowud NFC boards have only agricultural husks as the basic raw material while wood fibre boards have wood particles in them, said Bengani. The company procures about 3,000 tonnes of husks yearly. The unit’s production capacity is 5,000 tonnes to produce about 2 lakh sheets. A saving of about 10,000 cubic metres of natural wood annually, he said. The concept of making boards from agricultural husks came during a US visit. Indowud NFC was launched in 2019 after almost two years of research. As the current generation cares about problems like sustainability and environmental protection, it was the correct time to enter with a sustainable product, said Bengnani. The husks are ground to powder form and then dried at 70-80 degrees to decrease the moisture content. The fibre is pulverised to obtain a fine powder. Certain additives are added, including minerals, natural, and PVC resin combinations imported from South Korea and Japan. The powder is then rolled out into plywood sheets, he said. Indowud can be moulded in any shape and provides architects the flexibility of designing things as per their imagination while plywood cannot be bent or twisted, said Iyappan, a carpenter. Kishore Panikkar, Partner, architectureRED, used Indowud panels to reach the seamless sinuous form of the central helical staircase in Chennai's residential project. The material lends itself to bending easily and in two directions while maintaining stability and strength. The availability of agricultural husks is plentiful near the company’s plant located at Gummidipoondi on the Chennai-Kolkata Highway. This offers an incremental revenue to the farmers, who would otherwise dump these agricultural husks as waste. Image Source Also read: Century Plyboards looks to triple MDF capacity to 1,800 cubic m

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

MCD Launches Digital Parking at 8 Locations Across Delhi

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a digital parking system at eight prominent locations across the capital, introducing a tech-driven approach to urban mobility and parking management.The initiative is designed to streamline parking operations, encourage cashless payments, and ensure greater transparency in revenue collection. The pilot rollout has been implemented in busy areas such as Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Nehru Place (Outer and Inner Ring), Shastri Park, and Kashmere Gate ISBT.Under the new system, four-wheelers will be able to make payments via FASTag, while two-whe..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Delhi Plans 21 New Foot Overbridges for Pedestrian Safety

The Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi has received a proposal to construct 21 new foot overbridges (FOBs) across high-traffic locations in the city, following a review by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the Delhi Traffic Police. Ground surveys are now underway to prepare detailed project reports.The initiative aims to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility in key congested areas. Among the proposed sites are Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg near Old Delhi Railway Station’s exit, Shaheed Captain Batra Chowk, the LNJP Hospital in Central Delhi, Ajmeri Gate Chowk, Munja Chowk on Boulevard ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Carnac Bridge to Reopen By 10 June After Delay

Mumbai’s historic Carnac Bridge, a vital link connecting South Mumbai to the eastern suburbs, is now on course for completion by 10 June 2025, despite recent construction delays.The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) resumed work after a 15-day setback due to the delayed arrival of essential steel girders. The contractor responsible has been fined Rs 18 million for failing to meet the original delivery deadline of 30 April. Penalties were imposed at Rs 1 million per day from 1 to 2 May, increasing to Rs 2 million per day from 3 to 10 May. To speed up progress, BMC deployed engineers to..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?