At present, India’s paints and coatings industry is worth Rs 62,000 crore but estimated to touch Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years, according to paint manufacturing company Akzo Nobel India. While the most common application of paints is to improve the aesthetics of a building, paints and coatings can also play a significant role in improving its performance. CW highlights some of these key applications.

Indoor ambience

Paints with low volatile organic compounds (VoCs) are a healthier environment-friendly choice. Paints with a VoC concentration between 0.3 mg/m3 and 0.5 mg/m3 are regarded safe. “Using low-VoC and non-toxic paints has become a standard practice to align with principles of sustainable construction and improve the quality of indoor air, thus making buildings more productive spaces for their occupants,” says Mili Majumdar, Managing Director, GBCI India, and Senior Vice President, US Green Building Council (USGBC).

“We have significantly reduced the utilisation of materials (including paints) containing VoCs to reduce harmful lead-based vapours and prioritise the well-being of occupants and the environment,” says Raman Sapru, Director, Engineering & Design, Mindspace Business Parks. “Better indoor air quality contributes to a healthier, more sustainable built environment.”

While evaluating a building’s green quotient, the Indian Green Building Council allocates 6-8 points out of 100 to the use of low VoC and high solar reflective index paints, points out Naveen Akkina, Senior Counsellor (Architect) - Green Buildings, Indian Green Building Council.

Energy-efficiency

Rising outdoor temperatures affecting indoor temperature conditions have made coatings and paints an increasingly important insulation material, observes Majumdar.

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