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Metal Door & Fire Door Market in India

By: Shashidar Reddy, Shakti Hormann Pvt. Ltd.

What is the size of the present metal door & fire door market in India?

Term metal door is a mostly misconstrued term for hollow metal doors. It is required to qualify the construction of such doors as they are mostly sandwiched panels with various infill based on application. The market for hollow metal doors is approx. 2000 crores, which is completely factory-finished for receiving appropriate hardware, which is predefined and pre-punched on the shop floor. The hollow metal door market has been growing steadily across the country as it has found suitable applications in various buildings. It has been in use for more than two decades and is seriously being considered as a better alternative for wood and wood-based doors. Currently, the fire door market has grown close to 600 crores majorly in the specification-driven market. Specimen fire doors have to be tested and certified by the approved laboratories to confirm their fire rating, which is usually defined in minutes.

What are the driving factors of the metal door & fire door industry?

The durability and strength of steel are the main reasons for the growth of the steel door industry. Fire doors are a statutory requirement as per the building code for all high-rise buildings and factories where fire compartmentation is a must. Though fire doors are available in different materials, the use of steel as a primary material for fire doors has gained maximum application. For wooden fire doors, the challenge has been with the material and its availability, it is difficult to compare the performance of two wooden fire doors to be the same, because of the nature of the material and its composition. You may also note that the industry is always looking for products and materials which can be environmentally friendly and contribute to the green building requirement. Also, the push towards non-wood/green products has created a larger awareness and acceptance of steel as an alternative.

What are the evolutions in metal door & fire door technologies and materials?

The steel door industry has evolved and has come a long way in not only offering various types of fire doors but also quality finishes to match the interiors of buildings. Earlier a fire door was very difficult to operate as they were heavy and most of the time, the openings are not used for daily man operations. Today the fire doors are elegant and factory-finished to meet any project requirement. The semi-automated CNC machines and the technology of forming steel doors and frames have made the entire manufacturing process consistent and the margins of dimensional errors are less than 1mm.

Secondly, when you use various types of hardware on doors, it has to be prepped to receive this hardware with absolute precision, dead-on in the slots provided with machine screws. This also saves a lot of time on installation at the site as every component is pre-defined and pre-punched before it is shipped to the site. There is also development in terms of glass and glazing being used on steel fire doors, for better light transmission and transparency. The use of fire glass has enhanced the aesthetics of steel fire doors and newer technologies and materials allow architects to create safer spaces without compromising on design elements.

What is your forecast for the industry for the next seven years, that is for 2030?

We expect the industry to grow at an annual compounded rate of at least 10- 15 %. The use of steel doors and fire doors has been limited to commercial properties and factories in the past and recently it has found traction in the residential segment. We see maximum growth in the residential segment as steel doors are not available in laminated and wood finishes. This has given an opportunity to builders and individual house owners to try and explore the most durable products in the entrances and internal bedroom application. The industry has already seen some big names venturing into this segment as the potential future for the growing steel door industry. There is a lot of misconception when it comes to steel doors in the interiors of the building, however, if you see a quality steel door it is difficult to differentiate the product and the majority of the time people fail to identify the material as steel. One simple example of these doors used in classrooms shows, how the product is safe and even a child can operate with absolute ease. Next time when you open the door, please do check the material – it could be a steel door and you may not be able to make it.