India became the world’s second largest consumer of finished steel last year. However, India’s per-capita steel consumption, at 77.2 kg, is still only a third of the 233 kg average worldwide per-capita steel consumption. So, the scope for steel in the country is huge. In the ongoing fiscal, domestic construction, the railways and the capital goods sectors are expected to boost the consumption of steel in India by 7.5 per cent, according to the Indian Steel Association. In the realm of construction, pre-engineered steel buildings will play a role in increasing the uptake of steel for various reasons.

Despite the countrywide need to overcome a mindset that favours conventional construction, Kavi Jain, Principal Architect and Managing Director, Nirman Consultants, expects to see a shift towards pre-engineered buildings (PEBs) in view of the scarcity of labour.

“I expect infrastructure improvements and the ensuing growth of employment opportunities in smalltown India to exacerbate this scarcity of labour and, hence, for construction to increasingly move from the site to the factory,” says Jain.

“The lifecycle value of a PEB will spur a shift towards greater acceptance for the concept,” opines Praful Kava, Managing Director, Jenish Infrawork. “In situations where a landowner wants to develop a structure to be rented out for a limited duration, a PEB is always a better option for returning about half of the upfront cost even at the end of the lifecycle.”