Canadian Wood, a crown agency of the British Columbia government, conducted another informative webinar on the topic – Best Practices for Furniture Manufacture! The webinar, which was part of Canadian Wood’s WOODINNOVATIONS series, focused on the selection, sorting, and handling of wood. Moreover, the session shed light on Designing, Machining, and Joinery as well. The Indian woodworking industry experts also shared information on the skills development of furniture manufacturers and the ecosystem in India.
The Indian furniture sector
It is widely known that the Indian furniture sector is poised for growth. According to recent studies, the Indian furniture manufacturing market shall surpass USD $27 billion by the end of 2025. It makes the Indian furniture business a billion-dollar opportunity. The middle-class population, rising disposable income, and a growing number of urban families all contribute to the expansion of India’s furniture sector.
Up until now, small unorganized local players & manufacturers used to mainly dominate the furniture market in India. But over the last decade, the Indian furniture market is witnessing an increase in contribution from organized players. Especially with the recent entry of global players like IKEA in India, this growing market has standardized the furniture industry. Additionally, the market adapted best practices over its entire range of activities, right from sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, and skilled resources.
Industry experts, namely, Mr. Jimmy Thomas, Business Development Manager, Canadian Wood, Mr. Rahul Mehta, CEO, Furniture and Fittings Skill Council (FFSC), and Mr. Danish Khan, Head – Operations, I.EVO, shared their expertise on the best practices in furniture manufacturing. The speakers talked about the selection of the right wood species (Moisture Content/defects/end-use, etc.), sorting and handling of wood, the difference between hardwood and softwood, types of wood joinery, while highlighting the world’s oldest wooden architecture.
Besides, the seminar focused on the Skill India Ecosystem, debunked carpentry misconceptions, and highlighted how the woodworking industry has evolved to become gender-neutral. It focused on the female talent that is emerging and participating in wooden crafts and workshops, which will help to improve the sector and expand its potential. The webinar went over how to learn the correct woodworking skills, how to become a joiner/cabinet maker/carpenter, and highlighted woodworking beyond just carpentry. Mr. Rambeer Singh Yadav, Business Development Manager, Canadian Wood, moderated the session.
Speaking about the manufacture of wood and Indian furniture market, Mr. Pranesh Chibber, Country Director, Canadian Wood-
“India is known to have used wood traditionally to manufacture wooden products such as furniture. Being extremely easy to work with, wood remains suitable for applications such as joinery and carpentry, decorative panelling, furniture, mouldings, and cabinetwork. Due to its longevity, Canadian Wood species are extensively used for shingles, posts, poles, marine pilings, small boat hulls, oars and paddles, water and chemical tanks, window boxes, and exterior doors.”
“Currently, captured by local players & manufacturers, the furniture market seems fragmented. However, with global furniture giants like IKEA entering India, new opportunities have opened up. We see immense possibilities of building with wood, and hence we look forward to hosting more such enlightening webinars on WOODINNOVATIONS, which ultimately educate the industry and help our woodworking professional achieve new milestones.” he added.
Canadian Wood is well-known for hosting several webinars on a variety of topics relevant to the Indian woodworking business. These webinar sessions with Indian wood working industry partners have covered a wide range of subjects. These include topics of importance to the interior and exterior wood working business. Moreover, they promote the use of certified wood from British Columbia, Canada.
Watch the webinar on WOODINNOVATIONS – Best Practices in Furniture Manufacturing!
Know more about Canadian Wood.
For additional inquiries, please contact:
Arif Moosa – arif.moosa@canadianwood.in
