Essential Fitments

With a generous application seen on wall claddings, partitions, furniture, table tops, cabinets, etc, plywood, veneers and laminates have become an indispensable part of commercial interiors.

- Shristi Nangalia

As per ‘Wood panel sector’, a report by Mumbai-based Antique Stock Broking Limited, the Indian plywood industry has been growing at 6-8% CAGR over the last few years. One of the major verticals of the interior infrastructure industry is the wood panel market, which comprises of materials used in building furniture- plywood, decorative surface products such as laminates and veneers, and engineered wood panels like MDF, HDF, etc.

Companies dealing in plywood are continually experimenting and expanding their offerings. Product ranges now include boiling water-proof preservative treated plywood, phenol formaldehyde (PF) bonded marine grade plywood and urea formaldehyde (UF) bonded commercial grade plywood, concrete shuttering plywood, marine plywood, fire-retardant plywood, chequered plywood for flooring, flush doors, among many others.

In case of laminates, innovations and technical enhancements have led to the creation of innumerable finishes, textures and visual effects ranging from metallic, leather and fabric to high gloss and natural stone. These have extended the usage and application versatility of materials for architectural and interior decor. Same is the case with veneers, which are continually offered in unique textures and patterns.

Currently, Greenlam’s Decowood has the largest capacity in decorative veneer of 4.2 million square meters. The brand’s premium range of natural veneers is sourced from across the globe with over 200 species. Anuj Sangal, country head, Sales & Marketing, Laminate & CAA Business for Greenlam Industries, says, “We have recently added a new herringbone collection, which features natural textures like wood, stone and fabric as well as abstract ones like stucco that adds a certain appeal and ruggedness to interiors.”