Composites Industry Abstracts focuses on polymers and ceramics reinforced with fibres, honeycombs, whiskers, and laminates. Strong yet lightweight, these materials are now used for a variety of applications, from automotive body panels to sporting goods.

During the last three decades, more small-scale industries have been established in the country. More than 98% of them use the hand lay-up technique for composite fabrication. Improvements in volume growth only started in early 2000 because of the globalisation of the Indian economy.

India has made tremendous progress in the wind power sector, wherein composite consumption has exceeded China and Japan. India is the fourth largest generator of wind power in the world.

In the early 1980s, composites were identified as a potential material for use in many passenger coach components such as louvre and glass shutters, windowsill and frame, trays for battery boxes, roof ceiling, flooring, and so on. The railways were aiming towards the complete elimination of timber and plywood usage in the coaches.

The automobile industry is another sector wherein significant composite materials have been used in passenger cars, scooters and helmets. There is a huge potential for the use of composites in the Indian automobile industry, especially for catering to the transportation needs of the growing middle-class population. There would be a good market for hoods, cabs, frames and cargo containers that could be used as part of these locally built vehicles.