Growth in Indian Wire and Cable Industry – The Way Forward
There are multiple sectors fuelling the growth in the segment. The increasing investment in various infrastructures projects like electrification projects, data networks, railways etc. by the government sector; investment in new industrial projects including the private sector; and consistent growth in the housing sector etc. are contributing in a big way to the sustained growth in the wire and cable segment, not to forget the unfolding growth in sectors like renewable energy, telecom etc.
The bottom line is that this growth is not uni-dimensional but has multiple factors as drivers. The export growth has added yet another dimension to the previous domestic-consumption led growth. We, as an industry, can remain assured of the continuation of this growth story for a long time to come. Statistically, various market research organizations are also predicting such growth. Various agencies are reporting a CAGR of 8% to 14% with predictions of a market size of over USD 18 billion by 2032.
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Primary Drivers of Industry Expansion
As stated earlier, the Indian wire & cable industry’s growth is being driven by multiple sectors. Overall, the ratio of some of the sectors are certainly more than others but with emerging sectors growing fast, these ratios may change in the medium to long term. The current sector-wise breakdown of primary demand drivers are as follows: Power & renewable energy, being the largest drivers, contributes about 40–45% of total demand. This will see further accelerated growth as the government is targeting 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 as well as massive grid modernization. Sectors like HV & EHV cables, solar cables, and underground cabling etc. are expected to continue with a high growth phase.
Construction & real estate, both residential and commercial, contributes about 20–25% of demand, especially for low-voltage wires for households, offices, malls, IT parks, and smart cities. Factors like urban housing projects, and push for fire-retardant, low-smoke halogen-free (LSHF) wires will support this sector and its growth.
Telecom & data infrastructure are currently not as significant as above sectors, but this is a fastest growing segment (~15% CAGR), fuelled by 5G rollout and expansion of fiber network, emergence of data centres, cloud adoption, and Digital India programs, all leading to huge push for OFC. So, projects like BharatNet Phase III and National Broadband Mission are big time contributors.
Railways & metro rail, the drivers working for this segment, are again coming through the governmental push for infrastructure. Indian railways electrification is happening at a rapid pace and so are urban metro rail projects taking shape. Significant demand is seen for specialized signalling cables, control cables, and power cables.
Electric vehicles (EVs) & automotive, even with a very small base, is emerging as a high-potential driver, with demands for products like high-performance, heat-resistant cables, charging infrastructure, and on-board wiring.
Major Trends in Terms of Technology, Product Mix, and Supply Chain
The Indian wire & cable industry is not just growing in volume, but also transforming in terms of technology, product mix, and supply chain practices. In technology, multiple trends are being witnessed such as shift to fire-safety & low-smoke products leading to strong demand for FRLS (Flame Retardant Low Smoke) and LSZH (Low-Smoke Zero Halogen) cables, especially in residential & commercial real estate, metros, airports, and data centres. Regulatory push is also accelerating this demand, even-though much more needs to be done.
In urban centres, the push for underground cabling is fuelling the demand of high-voltage & extra-high-voltage (HV/EHV) cables, and also the demand for covered conductors. Newer power transmission infrastructures in urban & renewable corridors etc. are also big factors.
The telecom industry is witnessing expansion of OFC for 5G & broadband and hybrid cables. EV-specific cable innovations will fuel the demand of specialized solutions like heat-resistant and fire resistant cables, charging cables, and battery wiring harnesses, with focus on lightweight, high-flexibility cables for electric mobility. In terms of product mix, the main shift, as explained above, will be seen in a transition from commodity cables to specialized cables in all the sectors including focus on quality, safety, long term life-cycle, sustainability etc. This will significantly reduce the scope of the unorganized market.
The supply chain needs to integrate more closely with the global eco-system, especially to harness the export market, to use the newer production technologies and materials including sustainability factors. India is being seen as the ‘+1’ in China+1 policy by the global community and if we play our cards, like quality and efficiency, we can certainly fill this place.
Impact of New Entrants in the Industry
The story will not be without challenges. The growth in the wire and cable segment is attracting newer players, and capacity expansions like UltraTech and Adani Group. No such clear data is available to correlate the growth in the demand and capacity. The industry may face some completion pressures, not only the cable industry, but also downstream raw material vendors. But like any evolution process, the efficiencies will increase and a fitter and leaner industry will emerge.
The newer application will also demand modern manufacturing technologies, newer polymer compounds, and newer polymer chemistries. Such scenarios will test the resolve of the players, and the industry as a whole, should work together to address these challenges. Other issues which are already being faced by the industry are unorganized market, quality and safety violations which need to be addressed immediately. Industry and regulatory bodies need to work tirelessly and decisively to address these issues for long term sustainability of the industry. The players with focus on innovation, quality, R&D, and efficiencies will emerge as new leaders of the industry.
Crucial Financial Information, Important Events, and Advancements
KLJ Group, with its focus on innovation, R&D, and efficiency, is seeing consistent growth over a long time. Last year also, we have grown by 20%, much above the industry average. This shows that the industry continues to look upon us as a valuable partner in its growth as we remain relevant by offering newer technologies, complete solutions, and expanded capacities – all with consistency in quality, pricing and overall business approach. As we currently speak, expansions are happening across various polymers, not only in terms of capacities but also in terms of technological depth.
Future Readiness to Compete in the Evolving Market
KLJ Group firmly believes in the philosophy that it is important to lead the change, and it is evident in the way we have strived successfully to meet the current and emerging demands of the industry. Be it the case of capacity requirements, or newer polymer compounds needed by the industry, or introduction of completely new technologies in terms of performances, we, at KLJ Group, have been trusted by the industry.
We continue to invest in new technologies, advanced processes, and innovative materials and work with a host of Indian and foreign consultants to bring newer technologies to our customers across the globe in a real-time perspective. We take pride in our application laboratories where we try to replicate the customers’ process and acceptance criteria to enable our customers with winning and sure-shot solutions. With this philosophical mooring, we will remain relevant, trusted and preferred partners for our valued customer.
B2B Exhibitions Fueling Industry Growth
B2B exhibitions like Cable & Wire Fair (New Delhi), play a critical role in the growth of the Indian wire & cable industry. Needless to say, such events provide market access and networking, bringing together the entire value chain under one roof, creating opportunities for all, including brand building, collaboration opportunities, technology transfers etc.
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Past Participation Experience in Cable & Wire Fair
Our participation in Cable & Wire Fair has helped us to reach out to industry, as the industry converges in such events for a few days. The exchange of ideas, meeting the entire spectrum of value chain, presenting the newer products etc., all in a span of a few days and that too with a wide and diverse customer base happens in events like this and your event is also offering a similar platform. Such events provide a platform to demonstrate our capabilities while listening to the evolving needs of customers, a combination that has directly contributed to better relationships and business growth.
Expectations from Cable & Wire Fair 2025
At Cable & Wire Fair 2025, we look forward to deepening our partnerships and showcasing how our company is shaping the future of safe, sustainable, and high-performance raw material for the cable wire industry.
Visitors at our booth can expect an immersive experience from exploring our latest innovations in polymer compounds for fire-safety, renewable, telecom, and EV cables, to engaging with our experts who are ready to design customized solutions. For us, such fairs are not just about displaying products, but about building relationships and co-creating opportunities with our customers in India and worldwide.
Visit Stand: Hall 5/ C2 at Cable & Wire Fair 2025, New Delhi
