The Indian kitchen has undergone a dramatic makeover, evolving from a tucked-away functional space to the very heart of the home. Where once natural granite and marble were the only choices, and imported stones were the ultimate status symbols, a new trend has emerged. Since manufacturing took off in India around 2015, engineered quartz stone has become the preferred choice for modern luxury living, leaving traditional natural stone behind in favour of low-maintenance, sleek surfaces.
Quartz is non-porous and durable. It is an engineered product that allows a wide range of colours and designs. It is extremely versatile and known for its aesthetics. On the other hand, granite is a natural porous stone, it absorbs water, which tends to fade its colour over time. The widespread adoption of quartz surfaces for kitchen countertops and interior surfaces has intensified.
Entrepreneur Ankit Jain’s sharp business acumen and penchant for innovative technology have led Specta, a luxury quartz surface brand, to become a significant player in engineered quartz stone surfaces. Growing urbanisation, rising disposable incomes and increasing aspiration levels for modern, trendy products have driven the growth of quartz surfaces. “Our USP is the creation of spectacular design, innovation and quality backed by modern technology,” says Ankit, Director. As the preference for engineered stone is set to grow, Specta is ramping up its manufacturing capacity.
Today, Specta Engineered Quartz is the flagship brand of the Rs550 crore family-owned ARL Infratech Limited (ARL), based in Jaipur, Rajasthan: a known manufacturer in the building materials industry. The quartz stone business has acted as a catalyst and contributes almost 35 per cent of the total revenue of the group.
Ankit was born into a business family. His family owns ARL Group, founded 30 years ago in 1996 by his grandfather and father. The group has been delivering critical infrastructure solutions for rural and urban India, including roofing, water supply, sewerage and sustainable building construction. The company has been manufacturing fibre cement corrugated roofing sheets, fibre cement pipes, metal profile sheets, galvanised metal sheets, Aerotuff AAC blocks and colour-coated roofing sheets from its five modern manufacturing facilities in and around Jaipur.
ARL has also marked its presence with its fibre-cement products in international markets such as Nepal, Africa and North America. Fibre cement sheets were the mainstay business for the company under the brand name Ankur, producing 240,000 MTPA, with distribution across North India. It was Rajasthan’s first AAC blocks manufacturing unit in Bagru. The equipment and machinery were imported from Europe. AAC blocks are lightweight concrete blocks used in high-rise construction. They offer greater insulation, lower structural load and are earthquake-resistant. AAC blocks are larger in size – one block is equivalent to 16-18 red bricks, making construction much faster. The company has 1,500 channel partners across North India.
A mechanical engineer, Ankit joined his family business in 2010. His focus was on innovative manufacturing. His father, Pramod Jain, 64, Managing Director of ARL, recalls: “We realised the existing businesses were not evolving fast enough to drive the next level of growth. Therefore, our agenda shifted towards identifying next-generation opportunities within the building materials industry. Given Ankit’s deep business insights, the task was entrusted to him.”
After exploring several business ideas, Ankit learned about the engineered quartz industry. He visited a few plants to understand the process and technology. “I realised the product had huge export demand and subsequently strong emerging domestic growth. We saw this as an opportunity, as there were only a few manufacturers in this capital-intensive business,” he explains. The company then plunged into it and set up one of the most modern manufacturing units in the segment. Now 39, Ankit has passionately contributed to setting industry standards, driven by a relentless desire for excellence. He is steering the business along with his college friend Ankush Jain, CEO of Specta. Ankit’s younger brother, Akshat Jain, 34, recently joined the business and is involved in marketing, communications and sustainability.
The state-of-the-art Bretonstone technology plant from Italy was built over 400,000 sq ft in the Bagru Industrial Area, Jaipur (Rajasthan). It is designed to deliver spectacular creations with advanced robotics and fully programmable systems, with a capacity to produce over 6 million sq ft per annum. Bretonstone is at the cutting edge of quartz surface innovation. The manufacturing unit adheres to the highest global safety and quality standards in quartz stone manufacturing, backed by a modern quality control laboratory to ensure product consistency, reliability and regulatory compliance.
The high-speed plant can produce 400 large-sized slabs of 10.75 ft x 6.5 ft a day, compared to only 150 slabs in a Chinese technology plant. Currently, Specta mostly produces 20 mm and 30 mm thickness slabs and has around 60 SKUs for the domestic market and an additional 30 colours for export. Specta quartz draws inspiration from the many wonderful aspects of nature, where design and patterns can be found in abundance. Manufactured using UV-stabilised resins, each Specta slab retains its colour for a much longer duration, even when exposed to heat and sunlight.
Zero-discharge plant
The unit maintains the highest levels of safety, health and environmental standards. This zero-discharge plant conforms to the latest versions of accreditations. Biodegradable PVA films, water recycling and reusing calibration waste reflect the company’s commitment towards eco-sensitivity and employee health. “It is truly a zero-discharge plant. Even the sludge that comes out during the quartz manufacturing process, which is normally waste, is reused as raw material in our AAC blocks manufacturing plant. Hence, this eliminates waste dumping,” says Akshat.
“Our operational R&D and quality team, trained with Breton specialists, is geared to deliver only the best. Strong design and product development teams maintain very strict quality measures and ensure overall performance standards of the products that roll out from the plant,” says Ankush. “We spend one per cent of our revenue on R&D,” he adds.
While granite is a natural quarried stone, quartz surfaces are manufactured using quartz crystals mixed with polymer resins to bind the contents together, along with pigments for colour. It is predominantly used (over 80 per cent) for kitchen countertops. “Rajasthan is one of the richest sources of quartz in the world. Being closer to the main raw material is always an advantage,” Ankit explains.
The USA remains a key market for quartz surfaces, and India is the preferred choice for US buyers due to quality standards. Prior to August 2025, Indian quartz stone exporters maintained a strong US presence, exporting roughly Rs6,000 crore, thanks to a low anti-dumping duty of 3.5 per cent. However, the imposition of a combined 50 per cent duty and penalty practically halted exports and rendered Indian products uncompetitive against Thailand and Vietnam. Recent diplomatic negotiations have reduced the total duty to 18 per cent. In response to the thaw in tensions that had roiled trade between India and its largest export market for months, quartz stone exporters believe this will improve the competitiveness of Indian engineered stone in the US market, though opposition parties in India have termed the trade deal a ‘wholesale surrender’ to the US.
Our operational R&D and quality team, trained with Breton specialists, is geared to deliver only the best
“From the beginning, we knew that relying solely on exports was a long-term risk. Therefore, we worked simultaneously to build a strong presence in the emerging domestic market,” claims Ankit. “By doing this, we gained a good foothold in the domestic market and are growing faster than the industry.” India’s estimated market size is close to Rs1,500 crore and is growing at more than 15 per cent. The majority of Specta’s revenue comes from the Western and Northern markets in the country. It is also planning to focus on Tier I and Tier II cities. Specta has roped in interior designer and architect Gauri Khan as its brand ambassador to transform the luxury interior market.
Thirty-five per cent of Specta’s sales come from exports to the US, Dubai, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The US still constitutes the majority of its exports. Specta operates as an OEM for different distributors in the US. However, in the Middle East, the products are sold under the Specta brand and compete with international brands such as Caesarstone and Technistone.
Sought-after brand
One of the largest dealers in South Delhi, Technostone, has been associated with the Specta brand for the past 3 years. Its owner, Amit Mehta, is very excited about the industry’s growth. He says: “Specta is a sought-after brand among customers for its quality and product range. They have the best quartz stone manufacturing facility in North India. It is a young and transparent company that encourages dealers to grow with it.” However, Mehta suggests that Specta needs to actively manage dealer territories to ensure there is no overlap of zones. Presently, it has 72 dealers and 800 retailers. It is aggressively expanding its dealership network and plans to double the numbers over the next 2 years.
Specta has built a display centre in Jaipur to showcase the company’s product range and applications. Customers and architects can visit for learning and selection in a cosy atmosphere. It is also opening similar centres in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. “We also keep a close track of emerging interior trends through market research. Regular participation in fairs and exhibitions gives us a broader perspective to forecast design and colour trends,” affirms Ankush.
As the quartz surface industry is poised for growth, Specta is installing a new manufacturing line to ramp up production capacity and introduce new products as well. The existing plant has already reached 85 per cent of its rated capacity; hence the management decided to set up the new line.
The new line is being set up with the same Bretonstone technology, with an investment of Rs250 crore funded through internal accruals and bank loans, and is expected to be commissioned soon. Once ready, the total quartz surface production capacity of the unit will increase to 14 million sq ft from the present 6 million sq ft. “The new manufacturing line will have the capability to produce bigger slabs of 72 sq ft and thinner thicknesses of 7 mm. This helps reduce wastage and minimise joints in larger kitchens. At the same time, it can also produce higher-thickness slabs for the export market,” explains Ankit.
Specta is also exploring the introduction of quartz stone for cladding walls and façades in commercial and residential projects. “This is a fast-growing market and will compete directly with the tile industry. However, it is at a nascent stage, so it is too early to share further details,” says Ankit. The company is currently not pursuing external funding.
“It is always good to have competition in an evolving category like engineered stone. Specta is a new entrant in the segment but has created strong brand value. The company has good products and designs, manufactured at its modern plant,” says Mohanraj Jagannivasan, CEO of Mumbai-based Classic Marble Company, a pioneer in domestic engineered quartz surfaces under the brand Kalinga Stone – a competitor.
However, Paras Kumar Jain, former CEO of Pokarna Limited – one of the country’s largest exporters – suggests that constant product innovation and thorough market knowledge are key to success. Complacency, he cautions, will result in loss of market share.
“As demand continues to rise in the luxury real estate market in India, consumers have developed an appetite for style and aesthetics, and we are continuously working to keep up with their aspirations,” Ankit concludes.