India's Glass and Ceramics Clusters
Float Glass for Buildings and Cars
How float glass is made for windows, buildings and car windshields, the big producers like Saint-Gobain and Asahi India, and demand from construction and autos.
Float glass is flat glass for windows and cars.
How it’s made
Molten glass floats on a bath of molten tin, creating smooth, flat sheets. The process was invented by Pilkington in the 1950s.
Producers
- Saint-Gobain (France).
- Asahi India Glass (AIS).
- Gold Plus.
Demand
- Buildings, especially glass-fronted offices.
- Cars: windshields and windows.
- Solar panels.
Capital intensive
A float glass plant costs a lot and runs continuously for years.
Imports
India imposed anti-dumping duties on some glass imports.
The windshield
A car made in Gurugram has a windshield from a nearby Asahi India Glass plant.
Thinking glass is simple to make at scale
Float glass plants are capital intensive.
Key takeaways
- Float glass floats on molten tin.
- Saint-Gobain and AIS are big producers.
- Buildings, cars and solar drive demand.
- Plants run continuously.
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