100,000+
MT
composite waste generated in India every year. End-of-life FRP is landfilled or incinerated.
Source: PRT Innovations Pvt Ltd
Natural-fibre & hybrid FRP composites
Structural composites, engineered from natural fibre.
NaturoFiber develops natural-fibre and hybrid fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites — building panels, rebar and structural profiles — that are lighter than steel, resist corrosion and carry a lower carbon footprint than conventional glass- and carbon-fibre composites.
Natural fibre. Structural grade.
VARTM laminate layup · Composites laboratory, BITS Pilani
- 01 Incubated at BITS Pilani — Department of Civil Engineering
- 02 Founding team serves on ACI Committee 440 — FRP reinforcement
- 03 Co-founder ranked in the world’s top 2% scientists (Stanford–Elsevier, 2023 & 2024)
- 04 37+ years of composites and structural engineering research
The problem
Composites built modern industry. They also built a carbon and waste problem.
Automotive, aerospace, rail, packaging and green building in India all depend on energy-intensive synthetic fibre-reinforced polymers such as glass and carbon fibre.
1.7–2.5
t CO₂e
emitted for every tonne of glass fibre produced, plus ~17 GJ of energy per tonne of molten glass.
Source: Fortune Business Insights
0%
bio-based content in conventional fibreglass sheets, earning no local-material credit under IGBC and GRIHA.
Source: IGBC / GRIHA rating frameworks
The core question
How can India reduce its dependence on synthetic FRP with scalable, high-performance composites made from renewable natural fibre?
Our approach
Two routes to a lighter, lower-carbon composite.
Route
01
Natural-fibre composites
Locally sourced natural fibres such as kenaf replace synthetic glass fibre in non-structural and semi-structural components.
Route
02
Hybrid natural / synthetic composites
Natural-fibre plies are interlaminated with high-performance carbon or glass fibre, putting strength exactly where the load path needs it — for demanding structural applications.
Hybrid laminate · exploded view
Highlight — Functional gradation
Fibre type, orientation and placement are graded through the thickness, so high-performance material goes only where performance is required. That is where the cost and carbon saving comes from.
- Renewable reinforcement
- Engineered fibre architecture
- Lightweight construction
- Hybrid performance
- Scalable manufacturing
- Application-specific design
Product platform
One material platform. Four product families.
In development
01
Building panels
Wall, cladding, false-ceiling and partition panels. Lightweight and corrosion-free, with bio-based content for green-building ratings.
In development
02
FRP rebar & textile geogrids
Non-corroding reinforcement for concrete and soil in aggressive environments.
In development
03
Structural profiles
Pultruded and filament-wound beams, plates, shells and tubular sections.
In development
04
Custom components
Co-developed parts for automotive, rail, aerospace and industrial OEMs.
Why NaturoFiber
How it compares.
| Parameter | Conventional steel | Conventional FRP | NaturoFiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reinforcement | Steel / metallic | Glass, carbon or aramid fibre | Natural fibre + hybrid architectures |
| Corrosion | Needs protection and maintenance | Generally corrosion-resistant | Corrosion-resistant polymer composite |
| Weight | Heavy — handling and transport penalty | Lightweight, high specific strength | Lightweight hybrid elements, high specific strength |
| Carbon footprint | Energy-intensive production | Relies on energy-intensive synthetic fibre | Renewable fibre content, LCA-benchmarked |
| Material tailoring | Grade and section selection | Fibre type, orientation and lay-up | Plus hybridisation and functional gradation |
| Ductility | Ductile, but corrosion-prone | Can be brittle | Hybrid lay-up and toughened matrix for better energy absorption |
Swipe the table horizontally to compare →
Capabilities
From fibre to full-scale test — under one roof.
Fabrication, testing and structural design in the composites and structures laboratories of the Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani.
01
Vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM)
Void-free laminates of natural, synthetic and hybrid fibre.
02
Pultrusion & filament winding
Continuous profiles, rebar and tubular sections.
200 kN servo-hydraulic actuator
03
Structural testing
Four-point bending rig with a 200 kN servo-hydraulic actuator for full-scale beam tests.
04
Finite-element modelling & design
Nonlinear FE analysis and design guidelines for FRP and functionally graded structures.
Process line
- 01Raw material sourcing
- 02Fibre treatment
- 03Composite manufacturing
- 04Mechanical characterisation
- 05Component design & prototyping
- 06Application validation
- 07Scale-up
Applications
Built for the industries that run on composites.
-
Construction
Wall panels, cladding, false ceilings, partition systems
-
Automotive
Door trims, seat-backs, underbody covers, boot panels
-
Rail & transport
Sidewall, ceiling, floor and partition panels
-
Aerospace
Cabin panels, interior partitions, overhead compartments, acoustic panels
-
Packaging & industrial
Crates, protective cases, equipment housings, pallets
Also exploring
acoustics · healthcare equipment · sports · marine · defence · agricultural equipment
Sustainability
Lower embodied carbon. Local fibre. Green-building ready.
- 01Renewable fibre content, benchmarked by life-cycle assessment.
- 02Designed to contribute to local-material credits under IGBC and GRIHA.
- 03Built on India’s domestic natural-fibre ecosystem — made in India, for India.
Where we are
From laboratory to production line.
-
STAGE 01 · CURRENT
R&D & prototyping
-
STAGE 02
Industry validation
-
STAGE 03
Pilot orders
-
STAGE 04
Repeat production
18-month roadmap
0–6 months
Product prioritisation
Select the first two to three market product families; shortlist fibre, matrix and hybrid architectures.
6–12 months
Characterisation & durability
Mechanical baseline plus moisture, thermal and environmental durability testing.
12–18 months
Prototype launch
Wall panels, plates and shells, beam sections and tubular sections.
Work with us
Three ways to partner.
01
Industry & OEMs
Joint development, customer-specific prototypes and application qualification.
Start a development project02
Investors & grant bodies
Climate-tech, deep-tech and advanced-materials innovation from India.
Request our investor brief03
Researchers & institutions
Testing, characterisation and research collaboration.
Collaborate with usFounders
Engineers first.
Co-Founder
Prof. Shamsher Bahadur Singh
Senior Professor & Shri S. K. Birla Chair Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani
Ph.D. (IIT Kanpur) · P.E. (Michigan, USA) · Fellow ASCE, SEI, ICE (UK) · Member, ACI Committee 440
Advanced composite materials, FRP structures, functionally graded composites and finite-element modelling. Leads technology vision, structural FRP architecture and product validation.
Co-Founder
Dr. G. Muthukumar
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani
Ph.D. & M.E., Structural Engineering (BITS Pilani)
Earthquake-resistant design of concrete structures, fire resistance and nonlinear finite-element analysis. Leads structural analysis, prototype assessment and product development.
Contact
Have a component you want to make lighter and greener?
Tell us what you’re working on. We reply within two working days.
Prof. Shamsher Bahadur Singh
Dr. G. Muthukumar
Pilani 333031, Rajasthan, India