Zydex Paints, part of the Zydex Group, recently introduced its specialised silicate mineral paint technology to the Indian market. Zydex is a specialty chemicals company driven by a strong commitment to sustainability and innovation, with a global presence across 40 countries. The company focuses on developing eco-friendly, non-hazardous technologies across industries, including construction, textiles, agriculture and roads. As the first company in India to introduce silicate mineral paints, Zydex offers coatings that chemically bond with surfaces, delivering superior durability and resistance to peeling, fading and fungal growth, while maintaining natural aesthetics.
Talking about sustainability and the new technology, Dr Ajay Ranka, CMD, Zydex Group, says he was deeply inspired by the Finnish Prime Minister’s speech on sustainability at the UN in 1994 and realised that any new organisation in the 21st century must have sustainability at its core. Based on this belief, the organisation was built on the core philosophy of “innovation for sustainability”, which has remained unchanged for 30 years.
The company’s journey began with textiles and gradually expanded into waterproofing, roads, bio-agriculture and finally paints. Across all these verticals, the same sustainability principle has been consistently applied. In the paints segment, the company initially explored conventional polymer-based technology but rejected it as it did not align with its sustainability philosophy. The new paint technology has been built from scratch through extensive research and development carried out over several years.
Challenges and solutions
Speaking about India-specific challenges, Ranka highlighted three major factors: high levels of dust, a tropical climate with concentrated monsoons, and strong UV exposure due to the country’s geographic location. These factors collectively lead to faster degradation of buildings and surfaces, making it difficult to maintain clean and fresh-looking infrastructure. The new paint technology addresses these challenges in multiple ways. The stone or glass-like surface, which naturally does not retain dust and can be easily cleaned, provides high colour brilliance. The use of metal oxide pigments, which are highly resistant to UV radiation, heat and water, ensures long-term durability over a period of about 25 years, giving buildings a bright appearance. On pricing and market acceptance, he mentioned that while the product may cost 10-20 per cent more upfront, customers are willing
According to Moulik Ranka, MD, Zydex Paints: “Silicate paint technology is significantly older and more proven than acrylic paint technology. Silicate paints originated in 1878, whereas acrylic resins were developed in 1939. This makes silicate technology approximately 70 years more mature and well-established. Globally, silicate paints are used in marquee structures where repainting is difficult or impractical.”
“Our technology offers key differentiated properties such as breathability, fire resistance, washability, and nonfading characteristics. In large residential buildings, repainting creates significant inconvenience for residents. Our one-time painting solution focuses on durability and long-term quality, and we have successfully executed repainting projects with paintable areas as large as 35 lakh sq ft,” added Moulik Ranka. The company’s clients include Lodha, Sobha, Adani, and DLF. The hospitals, airports, and colleges are other key focus areas for Zydex.
“Our primary focus is on architects. We believe architects play a critical role in influencing end users as well as introducing new technologies. They act as opinion leaders and are instrumental in driving the adoption of innovative solutions. Our approach is to continuously educate architects about the technology, its incremental advantages and features, and the benefits of silicate paint technology. Our customer retention rate stands at approximately 85-90 per cent, which is significantly high and reinforces our confidence in the technology,” explains Amrendra Mishra, COO, Zydex Paints.
India’s real estate market is expected to grow and the technologies being developed should be aspirational and improve the quality of life. A property that consistently looks new and well maintained enhances the brand image of developers. The company has contributed to multiple innovations, including introducing water-based textile inks adopted by global brands like Nike. Many of its innovations are first-of-their-kind globally across different sectors. Dr Ranka strongly believes India should emerge as a global leader in innovation, contributing solutions to the world.