The residential and commercial sectors continue to drive the flooring market, followed by hospitality. The residential segment is growing at a considerable rate owing to new townships, while the commercial segment is showing positive growth because of multinationals entering Tier-I and Tier-II cities, a rise in SMEs and an increase in project scales. And the hospitality sector is seeing a rise owing to increased recreational and medical tourism.

Amit Shah, Managing Director, Classic Marble Company (CMC), shares that terrazzo designs are trending in the residential segment. “Terrazzo engineered marble has captured the imagination of the architectural world for its retro look and contemporary design, while travertine in the natural stone category and large-size porcelain slabs are preferred choices in commercial luxury projects.” KalingaStone quartz and large porcelain slabs are preferred for industrial flooring as they are extremely tough and resistant to wear and tear. As for retail, engineered marble and natural stones including marble, exotic granite and travertine are popular choices, while exotic granite and marble remain the first choice for many luxury hotels.

Joining the bandwagon is Welspun with its Click-N-Lock Tiles, Carpet Tiles and Greens for the residential, commercial and retail sectors, and Wall-to-Wall Carpets for hospitality.

AGL offers an exhaustive range of tiles for floors and walls. “Wooden porcelain and GVT tiles are among the most exciting trends in ceramic floor tiles,” says Kamlesh Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Granito India (AGL). “Also, large-format floor tile options, replicating Italian marble designs, are in vogue for their aesthetic appeal. Nanotechnology is used in the tile industry to manufacture tiles with increased sheen, colour and greater stain-resistance, while high-definition digital printing technology enables the creation of a diverse variety of designs and shades on any tile surface with 300 DPI resolution, resulting in finer and natural textual patterns.” Besides, the company has recently launched MarbleX, Eco Blanco and TAC Tiles. MarbleX is an ideal wall and floor solution and an ideal choice for facades. While Eco Blanco has a good SRI, making it an optimal flooring solution for roofs, TAC Tile is a range of floor tiles to assist the visually impaired.