Fluvial Innovations strike a deal to manufacture Floodstop in India as monsoon hits

It’s monsoon season in India, which sees 80 percent of the country’s annual rainfall fall in the space of just three months between June and September.

From New Delhi in the north to Kerala in the south, flooded roads and damaged infrastructure are a common sight in India’s cities at this time of year. And the economic impact is significant, with the cost of flooding in Kerala alone estimated to be in excess of £3bn in 2018. Yet, the outlook is starting to look brighter for India’s hard-hit urban centres this monsoon season, due in no small part to a tie up between Amritsar-based Frontier Plastics and Dorset’s Fluvial Innovations – the company behind Floodstop - a cost effective, reusable flood barrier and alternative to sandbags.

Self-filling with flood water, rather than sand, and constructed from a hard-wearing polymer plastic instead of the traditional jute or polypropylene, which covers most sandbags, Floodstop is an innovative modular flood barrier solution that weighs (when empty) a fraction of standard sandbags. Floodstop’s unique properties have attracted royal acclaim, with Fluvial Innovations being awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2018, as well as from buyers around the world, including San Francisco Public Utilities and Warsaw Metro to name but two.

Fluvial Innovations and advisors at Business West spotted an opportunity in the Indian market, given the fact of its relatively high flood risk. Accordingly, Fluvial set about finding a suitable manufacturing partner on the ground in India.

As a nation of 1.3bn, a partner not only with the manufacturing expertise, but also the scale to deliver the vast Indian marketplace, was deemed vital. Following a trip to the subcontinent, Fluvial Innovations found the perfect partner in Frontier Polymers Ltd. Established in 1989, the company has a strong track record in the manufacture and supply of plastic water tanks to an impressive range of clients, making it Fluvial’s preferred partner to manufacture their award winning Floodstop flood barriers to supply the entire Indian subcontinent.

Speaking about the role Business West played in helping to make this partnership a reality, Simon Phelps, Founder and Director of Fluvial Innovations said: “I could not be more pleased with the support that we received from Business West prior to our trip to India. They supplied vital advice and legal insight which greatly helped during the subsequent negotiations.” 

He added: “We were delighted to make contact with the team at Frontier Polymers in India. We were extremely impressed with their manufacturing capabilities, Frontier Polymers is a leading plastic manufacturing company and has the expertise to manufacture and supply Floodstop.”

James Monk, Director of Commercial Services at Business West comments: 

“It is really rewarding to have been able to play our part in joining together two leading companies and bring a unique and innovative product to market that will have a profound impact combatting flooding in India.

“I am proud that we have been able to facilitate the transfer of a great British innovation into the hands of an esteemed local manufacturing partner, with the scale and know how to make this product a success.”

Yuvraj Singh Ahuja, Director at Frontier Polymers, comments:

“We have been greatly impressed with Fluvial Innovations’ technology and clientele, I am very impressed with years of innovation put in and the ease of use of these barriers. We feel this barrier system will be effective in combating the various dangers and impact of flooding.”

Fluvial innovations were supported by Business West prior to their trip to India.

For further information visit www.fluvial-innovations.co.uk or telephone 01202 031657.