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“We are committed to a More Focused Growth in the Façade Industry”

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Young and dynamic, Hussein Chiniwala (Managing Director, Alfa Facade Systems Pvt. Ltd) is enthusiastic with an outgoing and engaging personality. He worked throughout College to partially self-finance his education. Hussein has demonstrated leadership strengths and a proven ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment with critical deadlines. He possesses outstanding communication skills, a passion for excellence, and a contagious enthusiasm. He has the ability to establish strong working relationships with other traders, developers, architects as well as staff. Tenacious and resourceful; Hussein will work any hours necessary and will always find a way to get project done on time/on budget.
Zoher Chiniwala and Hussein Chiniwala spoke to Windows & Façade Magazine (WFM) about their company, products, manufacturing facilities, services and their future plans & endeavours.

Project: Cyber Towers; Client: Magarpatta Township Development; Architect: Space Designer Syndicate 

WFM: Please give us a brief background of your group and your products?

Hussein Chiniwala: My father Zoher Chiniwala started this company in 1998. Prior to that, we operated under a different brand name. Under his rich experience of 39 years in the aluminium fabrication industry Alfa Facade Systems Pvt. Ltd. has now grown to be one of the leading doors/windows and facades fabrication companies in India. We have completed various projects in different parts of the country. Our products include doors, windows, unitized and stick curtain-wall and different façade cladding materials.

WFM: How did you foray into this industry?

Hussein Chiniwala: We have been associated with glass for the last four generations now. My great-grandfather owned one of the largest glass-trading firms in eastern India. My father executed his first window project in 1976. Since then, we haven’t looked back. I joined this business during my college days itself and used to supervise the work of a window project. Soon after my studies, I took over one of our largest projects. The energy and the combination of various skills coming together to complete a project was the part that drove me to get deeper into this industry.

WFM: Now you are grown into one of the largest players in Façade Systems in India. How did you achieve this?

Hussein Chiniwala: We started from a humble beginning. As the economy started to turn so did the requirements from a façade contractor. Larger projects required larger supplies of doors/windows and facades, which in turn needed larger infrastructure to cater for that requirement. We had to constantly upgrade ourselves with better technology to deliver the best quality products and services. Upgrading infrastructure is a continuous effort, which we follow even now, based on different project requirements.

WFM: Over the years, how did you enhance your leadership position in the growing industry?

Hussein Chiniwala: The requirements of a project s have changed drastically since the last decade. Projects have got larger in size and timelines for completion have reduced. In order to deliver the best quality product and service in the required timelines, we have had to constantly enhance our capacity for production at our factory and installation at the site. We have added many machines to aid our production and also upgraded our existing powder coating and anodizing units. We also work very closely with our suppliers to ensure that our raw materials reach our manufacturing facility in time.

WFM: Please tell us about your company’s strength and ability to compete against other local and national suppliers?

Project: Marvel Edge; Client: Marvel Realtors Pvt Ltd; Architect: Meinheart Facade Technologies

 Hussein Chiniwala: Our company has experience of executing over 300 projects with various façade requirements from complex facades to regular stick curtain wall elevations, we are capable of handling any façade requirements. Having a team of experienced professionals, skilful in their respective domains of expertise, is one of our biggest strengths. Our manufacturing set-up spread over an area of 4000-Sq m with in-house powder coating and anodizing facilities and all the latest machinery with a high manufacturing capacity is an added advantage to us.

WFM: Kindly tell us about your diverse product portfolio. Are your systems designed in-house?

Hussein Chiniwala: Architects and façade consultants are constantly on the lookout for new products and materials to use in their elevations. High-performance facades and windows are slowly finding their place in most projects. Rain-screen assemblies, double-skin facades, rear-ventilated facades, and photovoltaic facades are becoming increasingly prevalent. There is a constant need for working on new systems design to cater to these requirements. We have various different products to offer based on the specifications and requirements of the architect and the consultant, right from doors/windows to different façade applications. We also work with reputed system providers depending on the requirements and applications of the project.

WFM: Tell us about a few special features of your products. What are the major benefits of your products over the others available in the market? How is your technology ahead of other available brands in India?

Hussein Chiniwala: Before finalizing on the product that needs to be used for a particular application in the project, we first sit through with the architect/consultant or the developer to understand their requirements. Once we understand their needs it is easy for us to suggest to them a product that would suit their requirement. This ensures that a product is not under or over-specified and is correct for that application. The right product is manufactured with raw materials and hardware of the highest standards and grades to ensure that we deliver the best solution to our clients. We provide quick and timely after-sales service to our clients for any issue that might arise after the completion of a project. We also provide specific warranties on different products ensuring that there are no hindrances to the client.

Project: Fortune Hotel Lavasa; Client:Hindustan Construction Company;
Architect: In-house architect, Lavasa Corporation

WFM: Where is your manufacturing facility located? Please brief on the types of machinery you use.

Hussein Chiniwala: Our current manufacturing set-up is in Pune, Maharashtra. Our factory is spread over an area of over 4000-Sq m. We have our own powder coating and anodizing units, which ensure the timely delivery of quality coated profiles. We have a combination of different types of machines to facilitate production, from CNC machines to semi-automatic machines, copy routers to different punching machines according to our series. All our machines are of Italian and German make.

WFM: How do you plan to broaden your manufacturing footprint and capacities?

Hussein Chiniwala: Since the requirements of the project are growing larger, we are increasing our manufacturing capacities to suit these requirements. We are in the process of setting up another manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Pune. This unit will have state-of-the-art machinery and set-up and will be capable of handling production for large-scale projects. We are hopeful that this unit will be fully functional by this year-end. Further to this we are also working on our plans to set up manufacturing units in different parts of the country to cater to other parts of the country.

WFM: How do you assure the quality of your products?

Hussein Chiniwala: We have strict guidelines for delivering high-quality products. Working with the best raw materials sourced from the top suppliers ensures that raw materials received at our factory are of the highest standards. Reducing manual errors by increasing the dependency of machines for manufacturing further ensures that the quality is maintained right through the entire process. Standard manufacturing and installation processes have been set to ensure that the final installed product is of the highest standard. Our repetitive customers and clients are testimony to the fact that we deliver high-quality products and services.

WFM: Who are your major customers? Which are the projects that set you in the big league?

Hussein Chiniwala: We owe a lot to our clients to have continued to have faith in us and have played a major role in helping us reach our position. We have a long list of satisfied clients and have worked with many prominent architects and developers. Magarpatta City developers, Hiranandani builders, Lodha Developers, Omkar Builders, and K.Raheja Construction are few of the prominent developers we have worked with. Having worked on the 400–acre Magarpatta City Township project and the 700–acre Nanded City project gives us the confidence to work on large-scale projects.

WFM: Tell us about your design centre. What are the advantages of having one?

Hussein Chiniwala: Having an in-house experienced design team gives us the edge over many of our competitors. Our designers are well-experienced and have years of experience in the façade industry. The performance of the façade depends on the façade solution, which has been designed for a building. Since climates are variable, the façade solution and products used should have the capacity to bear and adapt to these variable climatic conditions. The design team understands these conditions and has to design a solution that suits the requirements and gives the best performance. Our design team also works with architects and engineers concepts to understand the actual working of a façade with the help of 2D-3D drawings.

WFM: When did you launch the brand Oriel and how is this range different from your other products?

Hussein Chiniwala: The increasing popularity of uPVC windows made us decide to launch Oriel in the year 2011. We offer high-performance uPVC windows of Deceuninck. We have a wide range of products to offer right from sliding windows and doors to casements and sliding folding door systems. uPVC windows are more thermally efficient than aluminium windows. They also provide good soundproofing and are corrosion-resistant and have high durability. The water tightness and soundproofing are reported to be better due to the difference in the joinery details of both uPVC and aluminium. Aluminium scores better in aesthetics due to the various colours and finishes available.

WFM: Tell us about your future plans and ventures.

Hussein Chiniwala: We are committed to more focused growth in the façade industry. Our experience with all past growth strategies has proved the same and we will continue to grow ourselves to achieve this goal. With our continued efforts and determination we aspire to make our presence known globally and not just on the national front and make Alfa Facade Systems Pvt. Ltd. a front-runner in the world of architectural wonders.

Project: Marvel Edge,
Client: Marvel Realtors Pvt Ltd,
Architect: Meinheart Facade Technologies.

Project: Cyber Towers;
Client: Magarpatta Township Development;
Architect: Space Designer Syndicate.

Project: Empire Towers;
Client: Reliable Group;
Architect: Hafeez Contractor

Project: Fortune Hotel Lavasa;
Client: Hindustan Construction Company;
Architect: In-house architect, Lavasa Corporation.

Project: ICC Tower at Senapati Bapat Road, Pune;
Client: Panchshil Reality;
Architect: Madhav Joshi

Factory, Alfa Facade Systems Pvt. Ltd
Fabrication Department, Alfa Facade Systems Pvt. Ltd