Comparative Study of Strategic Marketing Approach of Formwork Companies in Indian Residential Construction

The Indian residential construction sector has witnessed exponential growth over the past two decades, driven by rapid urbanisation, government-backed housing programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and rising middle-class housing demand. Within this context, the formwork industry — a critical sub-sector supplying temporary moulding systems for concrete structures — has emerged as a strategically contested marketplace. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the strategic marketing approaches adopted by three leading multinational formwork companies operating in India: MEVA Formwork India Pvt. Ltd., Peri India Pvt. Ltd., and Doka India Formwork Pvt. Ltd. Employing a secondary data-based research methodology, data were gathered from company websites, annual reports, industry publications, trade press, case studies, and sector reports published between 2015 and 2024. The study analyses each company's marketing mix (4Ps), brand positioning, target customer segmentation, competitive differentiation, and digital marketing strategies. Four structured comparison tables are presented to synthesise findings across dimensions of company profile, marketing mix, strategic positioning, and SWOT analysis. Findings reveal that while all three companies are of European origin and compete in overlapping market segments, they employ distinctly differentiated marketing strategies. PERI India demonstrates the broadest strategic coverage with a service-led total-solution approach, Doka India anchors its positioning in technology leadership and brand prestige, and MEVA India focuses on value-for-money engineering targeting mid-tier contractors. The paper concludes with implications for domestic and international formwork companies seeking to strengthen their competitive position in India's high-growth residential construction market.