In an exclusive interview with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Naval Singhal, Chief Business Officer, NAVANK Cable B.V., shares that there is currently a strong demand for specialty compounds from three high-growth segments: renewable energy infrastructure, EV charging systems, and railway/metro projects, along with the optical fibre cable (OFC) sector. Mid-sized and large integrated wire and cable producers are widely adopting LSZH and HFFR compounds (advanced materials), and are demanding greater technical transparency. Compound suppliers are no longer evaluated solely on price or material availability; they are expected to function as technical partners. NAVANK acts as a technical and commercial bridge between global OEM material manufacturers and Indian cable producers providing manufacturers access to globally certified materials, application expertise, and supply-chain reliability. Looking forward, NAVANK’s vision is to build a globally integrated raw material platform exceeding USD 50 million in scale by 2030, with specialty cable materials forming a central pillar of this growth strategy.

Wire & Cable India: Which specialty cable applications are presently generating the strongest demand for advanced compounds, additives, masterbatches, and specialty material systems?

Naval Singhal: At NAVANK, we are currently witnessing the strongest demand from three structurally high-growth segments: renewable energy infrastructure, EV charging systems, and railway/metro projects. These are no longer niche applications — they are rapidly becoming the primary volume drivers for specialty compound consumption in India.

In the renewable energy segment, solar cable manufacturers increasingly require UV-resistant FR-XLPE and E-Beam crosslinkable XLPO compounds capable of delivering reliable performance over a minimum 25-year service life under harsh outdoor exposure conditions. Wind energy applications similarly demand high thermal endurance, moisture resistance, and long-term electrical stability.

The EV charging infrastructure sector is creating an entirely new category of material requirements. These applications require halogen-free, highly flexible, abrasion-resistant, and heat-resistant compounds that comply with both Indian and international performance standards. The combination of flexibility, flame retardancy, and sustained high-temperature performance presents significant formulation challenges that were uncommon in conventional cable systems.

Railway and metro infrastructure projects continue to accelerate demand for fire-resistant, low-smoke, halogen-free compounds that comply with stringent fire safety and smoke toxicity norms. Public infrastructure projects today place far greater emphasis on passenger safety, evacuation performance, and compliance with international fire standards.

Another major growth engine is the optical fibre cable (OFC) sector. We have seen substantial demand expansion for LSZH compounds, particularly B2CA and UL-rated grades driven by FTTH expansion, hyperscale data centers, and telecom infrastructure investments. In 2025 alone, NAVANK supplied more than 5,000 tonnes of OFC compounds into the Indian market, compared to approximately 200 tonnes in 2018 — clearly illustrating the scale and pace at which this segment has evolved.

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WCI: What major changes are you observing in cable manufacturers’ material requirements in areas such as flame performance, flexibility, thermal endurance, UV stability, chemical resistance, and long-term reliability?

NS: The evolution in material specifications over the past five to seven years has been both broad-based and exceptionally rapid. Requirements that were once limited to export-oriented or highly specialized projects have now entered mainstream domestic procurement across India.

One of the most significant shifts has been the widespread adoption of LSZH and HFFR materials as baseline specifications. Today, manufacturers across the spectrum — from mid-sized regional producers to large integrated players such as HFCL, Polycab, KEI Industries, and Sterlite Technologies — increasingly expect advanced flame-retardant and halogen-free solutions as standard rather than premium offerings.

Beyond fire performance, three technical trends stand out prominently.

First, thermal endurance expectations are rising significantly. Solar, EV, and industrial automation cables are now routinely expected to maintain performance integrity at continuous operating temperatures ranging from 90°C to 120°C.

Second, UV stability has become a mandatory specification rather than an optional enhancement, particularly for outdoor power and solar installations across high-irradiance regions such as Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Third, long-term reliability expectations have become far more demanding. Procurement specifications increasingly reference operational design lives of 25–30 years, particularly for infrastructure, renewable energy, and utility projects.

In parallel, customers are demanding significantly greater technical transparency from material suppliers. Today, the market expects complete documentation packages including certificates of conformity, third-party test reports, batch traceability, compliance declarations, and application-specific technical support. Compound suppliers are no longer evaluated solely on price or material availability — they are expected to function as technical partners.

WCI: How are automation, robotics, renewable energy, EV infrastructure, and other high-performance applications influencing compound development and formulation strategies?

NS: These high-performance application sectors are fundamentally reshaping compound formulation strategies. The industry is moving away from single-parameter optimization toward highly engineered multi-performance material systems.

EV charging cables are a prime example. These applications require compounds that simultaneously deliver high flexibility for repeated handling, halogen-free flame performance, elevated thermal resistance, abrasion durability, and compliance with UL and IEC standards. Achieving all these characteristics within a single formulation would have been technically difficult even five years ago.

At NAVANK, our OEM partnerships — particularly with Zhejiang Wanma Macromolecule Material Group Co., Ltd. — have enabled us to introduce specialized FR-XLPE and EV-grade compound systems engineered specifically for these complex performance requirements. Solar cable compounds have also emerged as a major focus area within renewable energy infrastructure. Modern solar installations demand compounds capable of withstanding extreme UV exposure, thermal cycling, moisture ingress, and harsh environmental conditions over service lifecycles exceeding 25 years. This has significantly increased demand for Solar LSZH E-Beam compounds, EN 50618-compliant XLPO systems, and advanced UV-stabilized formulations that maintain electrical and mechanical integrity under prolonged outdoor exposure. In utility-scale solar parks, reliability expectations are exceptionally high, making long-term ageing performance and weather resistance critical formulation parameters.

Renewable energy applications more broadly present another set of long-term durability challenges. Wind and hybrid energy systems require exceptional oxidative stability, thermal endurance, and flame-retardant performance under continuously varying operating conditions. These requirements are accelerating innovation in crosslinked polyolefin technologies and next-generation halogen-free compound systems.

Automation and robotics applications introduce a different dimension altogether: flex-cycle endurance. Cables used in robotic arms, automated production lines, and dynamic industrial systems are subjected to millions of repetitive bending cycles. These environments require elastomeric and highly engineered flexible compounds with exceptional mechanical recovery and fatigue resistance.

Across all these sectors, the defining industry trend is clear: modern compound design must simultaneously satisfy multiple, often competing, technical requirements without compromising processability or commercial viability.

WCI: What technical challenges arise while balancing performance, processability, compliance requirements, durability, and commercial viability within specialty cable compounds?

NS: This remains one of the most technically demanding aspects of specialty cable material development.
In many cases, improving one performance characteristic introduces trade-offs elsewhere in the formulation. For example, achieving higher flame retardancy and halogen-free performance often requires elevated mineral filler loading, which can negatively impact flexibility, elongation properties, and extrusion processability. Similarly, crosslinking technologies used to improve thermal endurance introduce additional manufacturing complexity and capital investment requirements at the cable manufacturer level.

Compliance requirements add another layer of complexity. Today, many manufacturers must simultaneously satisfy multiple international standards including UL 1581, UL-44 XHHW, UL-4703 PV Cable, IEC 60332, IEC 60754, IEC 60092, BS 6387 CWZ, EN 50618, and RoHS directives. Designing formulations that consistently meet overlapping international standards requires highly precise formulation control, extensive validation testing, and robust quality systems.

Commercial viability remains equally critical, particularly in a highly price-sensitive market such as India. Customers increasingly expect enhanced technical performance without proportionate cost escalation.

At NAVANK, we address this challenge through a globally integrated sourcing and supply model. Our procurement network spans certified manufacturers across China, India, Europe, and Southeast Asia, supported by warehousing and distribution operations in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, and Portugal. This structure enables us to optimize procurement cycles, improve inventory responsiveness, and maintain competitive pricing while preserving technical integrity and certification consistency.

Ultimately, the discipline lies in balancing performance engineering with scalable commercial practicality.

WCI: How has demand evolved for HFFR/LSZH, XLPO, silicone, elastomeric, and other advanced material systems across specialty cable applications?

NS: Among all material categories, LSZH and HFFR compounds have experienced the most significant and sustained growth trajectory in India.

When NAVANK initially began promoting LSZH materials in the Indian market, demand was largely concentrated among export-oriented OFC manufacturers supplying Europe and North America. Today, however, LSZH specifications are increasingly standard across domestic building wires, metro rail systems, data centers, airports, hospitals, and public infrastructure projects.

Our LSZH portfolio currently includes B2CA-grade compounds, UL-rated CMX and CMR/CMP grades for data communication cables, as well as IEC-compliant industrial and infrastructure grades. Growth has been directly supported by smart city projects, hyperscale data center expansion, telecom infrastructure development, and stricter fire safety expectations across commercial construction.

XLPE and XLPO systems continue to represent our largest volume segment. NAVANK supplies XLPE compounds for power cable applications up to 500 kV, including FR-XLPE and solar E-Beam compounds compliant with EN 50618 and related international standards.

Silicone-based compounds, while comparatively niche in volume, remain strategically important for high-temperature, fire survival, aerospace-adjacent, and mission-critical cable applications where thermal performance at extreme operating conditions is essential.

We are also witnessing strong growth in semiconducting compounds used in medium-voltage and extra-high-voltage cable manufacturing. As Indian cable manufacturers continue expanding capacity for 11 kV, 33 kV, and EHV cable systems, demand for high-quality semiconducting materials is increasing correspondingly.

A particularly encouraging development for NAVANK has been the strong market acceptance of our 66 kV and 132 kV XLPE and semiconducting compound systems among leading Indian cable manufacturers. Over the past few years, several top-tier domestic customers have successfully adopted our XLPE Semicon materials for high-voltage cable production, driven by the need for consistent electrical performance, superior surface smoothness, controlled volume resistivity, and long-term reliability under demanding operating conditions.

As India continues investing heavily in transmission infrastructure, utilities, renewable integration, and urban power distribution upgrades, we expect demand for high-voltage semiconducting compounds to accelerate further.

WCI: To what extent does the Indian specialty cable material ecosystem still depend on imported polymers, additives, stabilizers, or formulation technologies, and where do you see localization opportunities?

NS: India’s specialty cable materials ecosystem remains substantially dependent on imported raw materials and formulation technologies, particularly at the upstream polymer and additive level.

Critical base polymers used in XLPE, LSZH, and semiconducting compounds — including specialty polyolefins, EVA, and advanced LDPE systems — are predominantly sourced from China, Korea, and the Middle East. Similarly, many high-performance additive systems such as flame retardants, antioxidants, peroxide crosslinking agents, and UV stabilizers continue to rely heavily on global supply chains.

In this ecosystem, NAVANK’s role is to function as a technical and commercial bridge between global OEM material manufacturers and Indian cable producers. Through partnerships with companies such as Zhejiang Wanma Macromolecule Material Group Co., Ltd., Chhaperia International Company, Unitape Limited and Jiangsu Kemaite Technology Development Co., Ltd., we provide Indian manufacturers with access to globally certified materials, application expertise, and supply-chain reliability.

That said, localization opportunities are both real and strategically important. India already possesses strong compounding and downstream customization capabilities. Domestic manufacturers are increasingly capable of blending, modifying, and tailoring imported base polymers for application-specific requirements.

Mica tapes represent an area where India has achieved genuine global competitiveness, with manufacturers such as Chhaperia building internationally recognized capabilities.

The primary gap remains at the upstream specialty polymer manufacturing level, where capital intensity, technological complexity, and scale economics continue to present major barriers. Accelerating localization in this area will require sustained long-term investment, technology partnerships, and supportive industrial policy frameworks.

At NAVANK, quality assurance and technical documentation are treated as core service deliverables rather than supplementary support functions. All products supplied through our platform undergo testing and certification validation prior to dispatch, with full traceability maintained throughout the supply chain.

WCI: How important have testing, certification, consistency control, and application-specific customization become in today’s specialty cable material environment?

NS: They have become central to supplier qualification and procurement decisions — often carrying equal or greater weight than pricing itself.

Over the past decade, the Indian cable industry has undergone a clear transition from transactional procurement toward compliance-driven sourcing. Today, any manufacturer supplying to metro rail systems, renewable energy projects, data centers, export markets, or critical infrastructure must ensure complete technical documentation and certification traceability.

The standard expectation now includes certificates of conformity, third-party test reports, MSDS documentation, RoHS declarations, and increasingly, batch-level traceability systems.

For example, our mica tape systems comply with BS 6387 CWZ standards and are tested at 950°C for three hours — a critical benchmark for fire-resistant cable applications used in transit systems, tunnels, and mission-critical infrastructure.

Application-specific customization has also become commercially essential. A formulation suitable for 11 kV power cable applications may require substantial optimization for 33 kV or EHV systems. Customers increasingly expect technical guidance, processing support, and application engineering as part of the supplier relationship.

This requires not only strong sourcing capabilities, but also deep technical understanding of cable manufacturing processes and end-use performance behavior.

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WCI: Looking ahead, which material technologies, compound systems, or performance requirements do you believe will shape the next phase of development within the specialty cable segment?

NS: We believe the next decade will be shaped by three major structural transformations.

The first is the continued acceleration of EV, Solar and other renewable energy infrastructure. The material requirements associated with EV charging systems — flexible, halogen-free, high-temperature, UV-resistant, and highly durable compounds — differ fundamentally from traditional cable applications. As India scales commercial charging infrastructure and renewable energy deployment, demand for advanced compound systems will continue to rise substantially.

The second major driver is digital infrastructure expansion. Hyperscale data centers, 5G deployment, FTTH expansion, and Bharat Net-scale fibre rollouts will sustain strong demand for LSZH B2ca compounds, CMR/CMP-rated materials, and advanced OFC compounds. Data centers in particular impose extremely stringent fire safety and reliability standards, making them strategically important markets for specialty material suppliers.

The third structural shift will come from India’s growing ambitions as a global cable manufacturing hub. As Indian manufacturers increasingly compete for projects across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America, international-grade material specifications will become standard requirements rather than premium exceptions.
This transition will steadily move the market away from commodity-grade materials toward performance-engineered compound systems.

For NAVANK, this represents a major long-term strategic opportunity. Our vision is to build a globally integrated raw material platform exceeding USD 50 million in scale by 2030, with specialty cable materials forming a central pillar of that growth strategy.