Saint Gobain to Invest Rs.8,000 Crores with Majority of the Capital Focused on Capex
Saint Gobain India is funding the investments with internal accruals, according to Santhanam, who added, "We are debt-free and have adequate internal funds to fuel our growth appetite."
"We believe that over a 4-5-year cycle, we will invest approximately Rs 8,000 crores, with over 90% focused on capex." "As our scale grows, we will re-evaluate our Capex requirements," he said.
When asked about the long-term prospects for Saint Gobain's business in India, Santhanam said it is "favourable" because people are investing in better solutions that combine aesthetics, functionality, comfort, and sustainability. Saint Gobain India provides facade, partition, ceiling, and bathroom solutions, as well as ceramics for infrastructure industries such as steel, cement, and aluminium, and glazing solutions for mobility.
"Our long-term growth can be two times the GDP growth rate," he said adding there is a "strong appetite" for Saint Gobain's solution for facades, windows, ceilings, partitions, shower enclosures, office, home interiors and construction chemicals.
Even in the industrial space, there is a strong demand from auto, auto components, steel, aluminium, glass, and infrastructure industries, he added.
"Premiumization is the order of the day in most categories, whether it's residential homes, commercial properties, appliances, or cars." Today, the shift to SUVs has more than doubled the average car price realisation. "The same is true for residential homes," he explained.
Furthermore, the Modi government's strong infrastructure push has resulted in rapid growth, driving demand for construction chemicals that provide sustainable solutions and reduce carbon footprints. Saint Gobain India also exports advanced products from India to markets such as ASEAN, North Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
"Even though India's exports of goods have slowed, our exports (goods and services) have remained stable at 15%," he said.