Paschal sees bright future in India for formwork

German formwork manufacturer Paschal says the Indian market for its products is set to grow due to shorter project time lines, rising labour costs and skills shortages.

Speaking at the bC India exhibition, Paschal Formwork India general director Eldo Varghese said, “There is a big need for formwork in India because of the speed we need to build things.”

He added that higher wages and a lack of skilled workers was also steering the construction industry away from traditional hand-had wooden concrete forms. “Compared to 2008, labour costs are twice what they were,” said Mr Varghese. “We cannot depend on a carpenter to make formwork on site because the quality is just not there.”

The company has had a sales operation in India since 2008 targeting infrastructure, power, industrial and building construction. The mainstay of its offering is its entry-level modular wall and column formwork, which Mr Varghese said was “Simple and user-friendly”, along with slab formwork.

Paschal has a formwork assembly plant in Vizag, on India’s Eastern coast which was opened in 2010. Mr Varghese said this was a distinct advantage for the company. “The point of having an assembly plant is the lead time. We supply in 45 days on average, but if we imported it would be 90 or 120 days,” he said.

“Formwork is the future in India. There is no doubt. It is an opportunity for everyone,” concluded Mr Varghese.