Bihani Group started as a PVC compounding company but over the years have emerged as an entity specializing in halogen-free and cross-linkable compounds. In an exclusive interview with Wire & Cable India,
Mr. Jaideep Bihani, Director of Bihani Group, shared that the company has recently launched a unique ‘fraud detection’ masterbatch, equipped with software and ready-to-use tools that easily distinguish standard material from fake material, while also tracking fraud incidents across India and globally. The company is additionally developing innovative halogen-free, cross-linkable, and electron-beam compounds in collaboration with SACO AEI Polymers Inc., thereby shaping the future of compounding in the wire and cable industry.
Wire & Cable India: Can you please briefly tell us about your company?
Jaideep Bihani: Bihani Group has been active in the wire and cable industry for over 30 years now, with pan-India distribution and supply to the Middle East and North Africa through its own concerns and setup. Previously, we were based out of Bhiwadi, Rajasthan and now the company also operates in Vapi, Gujarat. Our company has a joint venture with Saco AEI Polymers Inc., global leaders in cable and automotive compounds. SACO is also holding company of AEI Compounds Ltd., which is a UK-based company, known worldwide for their halogen-free & crosslinkable compounds.
Together, Bihani Group and Saco AEI Polymers have come to form SAB (Saco AEI Bihani Polymers India Limited). The objective is to harness Saco AEI’s product range and their proprietary technology to build the compounds of the future, moving away from PVC standard materials to cross-linked HFFR and electron beam HFFR, with higher temperature rating and higher flame resistance.
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WCI: What are the latest developments and innovations happening in your company?
JB: We have a manufacturing facility for Saco AEI Bihani Polymers, making HFFR compounds on co-kneading systems using their proprietary/ patented technology and bypassing the standard and conventional routes of Maleic Anhydride-based systems, making more resilient products for outdoor applications.
We have also innovated a lot in master batches. Our SMARTBATCH® Masterbatch systems include products for high line speeds, ambient cure XLPE and now, with a European partner, we have launched a ‘fraud detection master batch’ that we are showcasing here in the Cable and Wire Fair.
This is a patented technology that has limited access. It’s a non-IR-based, real-time infrared spectroscopy-based system. These technologies are also going to be used in many applications, like defense, where we are very active, as a group.
We have launched this new product for selected customers who are increasingly sensitive to such issues. This is a complete package system which works not only on the detection but also on the database.
It comes with the software and ready-to-use tools which can be given to the POCs, and they can easily identify the standard material compared to a fake material, and also simultaneously track pan-India or globally where all such fraud incidents are occurring. So the entire database is on the cloud and is real-time.
I think we stand away from the competition by a great distance, because rather than going through conventional routes of manufacturing products, we are now using patented and proprietary technologies, which impart properties to our materials, and are not only hard to catch but also control.
WCI: What sets you apart from your competitors?
JB: As a compounding company, Bihani is perhaps one of the few companies who has worked directly with market leaders based out of Americas, Europe & Asia-Pacific & Japan. This has given us an exposure to a variety of products and specifications, appreciating the sensitivities involved.
At the same time, our association with international companies, including cables and compounds manufacturers, has given us leverage for where we are today. I think we stand away from the competition by a great distance, because rather than going through conventional routes of manufacturing products, we are now using patented and proprietary technologies, which impart properties to our materials, and are not only hard to catch but also control.
WCI: What certifications have you achieved so far?
JB: Notably, we have moved away from batch processes to continuous processes and have attained many compliances, including ROHS, REACH, GADSL, and USFDA.
WCI: How has been your experience at CWF 2025 so far? What are you displaying at the event?
JB: It is our first time at the Cable & Wire Fair in Delhi. The exhibition, I think, has come a very long way. And I would like to thank the Tulip 3P Media team for this event, which serves as a meeting point for great professionals from the industry. I wish them the best.
At the exhibition, we have displayed our products in three categoris. The first is the Bihani Group profile, which is PVC, and non general PVC—PVC-FRLSH that we make on European lines for very high line speed extrusion. Second is our flagship JV SACO AEI BIHANI Compounds through which we offer Halogen free & cross linkable grades. The third is Saco AEI USA products which are directly dealt from USA & Ms. Ayushi Gangwal here is dealing with most of the Indian customers.
WCI: What are the latest trends & key technologies adopted in the wire and cable industry?
JB: The demographic of India is changing and the conventional buyers are now in an upper-age stratum. New people are coming in and we expect a sort of change in consumer behavior in every sector, including wires and cables. So this means that people are going to be more interested in safer products, like HFFR, that are going to be the new norm of the day in the coming couple of years.
We have started seeing that with the National Building Code, there is a growing emphasis on using HFFR cables in circuit integrity application. We are in discussions with several airports, malls, and major construction companies to secure source approvals for HFFR products, which is our flagship offerings of SAB and Saco AEI.
We are also seeing a trend of cross-linkable cables for domestic wire applications. Moreover, high line speed and higher throughput materials are on the cards. So it is going to be a very changed environment for cables as far as we see, at least on the domestic building wire side.
The industrial cable side is also going to be impacted, where PVCs are going to be replaced by XLPE, HDPE in certain areas, like in MVCC. Other innovative compounds are track-resistant HDPE, PP based compound systems to replace XLPE (we are working on this product at an advanced stage). These new products are going to come in the future, because demand-wise, the material selection is going to change in the next couple of years. We strongly believe that, and with our tie-ups with market leaders, such as Saco AEI, we are going to be at the forefront of these innovations in cable compounding in the next five years. This would also be demonstrated through our market presence.
WCI: What are your future plans?
JB: We expanded from Bhiwadi to Vapi, and another plant is coming up very soon that will add to our existing capacities. From the masterbatch standpoint, we conventionally have very high line speed master batches with India’s top wire and cable manufacturers among our key buyers. Our goal is to increase this number going forward.
We are also working with halogen-free compounds, cross-linkable compounds and electron beam compounds that are under development with certain clients. With these developments, we see the future of India and the future of compounds changing very rapidly.
As far as I see in my 25 years of business in the compounding and wire and cable industry, with the past three years and the coming five years, the new innovative compounds are going to shape the future and might completely change the face of the industry.
We have attained many compliances, including ROHS, REACH, GADSL, and USFDA.
